Not So Silent Observer
by lightingpaperlanterns
Summary: I sank into the couch and flicked to the page I was up to. "Please look at me Sally," mum pleaded. I looked up annoyed and found myself in a not so familiar place - Sally Potter reads a book, and finds herself in the exact world shes reading about. Why?
1. Where?

Chapter One

I looked around at the room... The streamers and balloons were in place. The food was on the table. All of my brother's friends were mingling. I was waiting for Jason to ring, telling me that his flight was in. The last two months he'd been in Vienna on a sports tour for his high school, and I'd missed him terribly. The phone rang, and I answered it with a squealy 'hello.'

"Hey Sal," Jason said. My cheery face fell, and I started getting worried. His voice was troubled, and that couldn't mean anything good.

"Are you okay Jace?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "But Mike's not. He's in surgery right now, so some of us have to stay behind and wait 'til he's better until we can leave. I hope you didn't plan anything special."

I looked down at the outfit mum had bought me for Jason's coming home party. A single tear escaped my eye and fell down onto the table.

"No," I said. "Nothing special. Bye Jason."

"Bye Sal," he said. "See you soon."

I hung up the phone and sank back into the couch. I'd been so looking forward to my brother coming home. I'd organised this whole coming home party, not something terribly easy for an eleven year old to do. It had become boring with just my mother and me. Mum had been listening to the conversation, and she apologised to all the guests, and said goodbye to them as they left.

"Are you okay Sal?" she asked me once everybody had left.

"Yeah," I lied, getting up and crossing to the bookshelf. I pulled out my favourite book at the moment, and opened it to my page.

"Are you sure okay Sal?" she asked again.

"Yes," I lied again without looking up.

"Sally, please look at me," she pleaded.

I looked up, annoyed, and said "What?"

**

"Woah, Sally, calm down," a girl with bushy brown hair and buck teeth said. "I only asked what house you wanted to be in."

I looked around me, confused. That girl hadn't been at the party I'd tried to throw. I realised with a shock that I wasn't in my lounge-room anymore. I wasn't anywhere in the town I lived in. Where was I?

"Potter," somebody called, and I wheeled around at the mention of my last name. The caller was a skinny, pale youth with white-blonde hair. He wasn't talking to me though. He was talking to a boy with jet black hair, round glasses, and a lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. I realised where I was, but didn't believe, as I saw the light from the torch bracket dance across his face. I looked down at the book I was still holding, and closed my eyes, hoping to wake up from this warped dream I was having.

I opened my eyes, but it didn't help. "Sally, are you okay?" the bushy haired girl asked me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, looking again at the book I was holding.

As the doors to the small room opened, revealing an elderly woman with emerald green robes, I breathed the title of the book under my breath.

"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone."

**

The Sorting Hat: it sorts Harry into Gryffindor, although it was seriously considering Slytherin. Should I tell him this before he goes up to get sorted? He's going to be the next person up there. No, never mind, I thought as his name was called. A hushed silence came over the hall as Harry walked up to the stool that seated the aged hat. He put it on his head, and it only just stopped at his ears. It was going to be a few minutes before the decision was made.

I slid closer to the gangly red-haired boy that Harry would make good friends with: Ron Weasley.

"The hat's going to choose Gryffindor," I muttered under my breath. All he did was look at me weirdly and step away. I rolled my eyes.

"Gryffindor," the hat called out. Ron looked over at me with a funny look on his face as cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry went to sit next to Ron's older brother Percy.

"Potter, Sally," Professor McGonagall called out. I noticed that Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, furrowed his brow, obviously noticing that something was wrong. Professor McGonagall however, was oblivious. I walked up to the stool and put the hat on my head.

"Mmm...." the hat said the second I put it on my head.

What was that for? I thought.

"You're not supposed to be here," the hat said to me.

I figured out that much already, I thought back. Do you know why I'm here?

"I have no idea," the hat said. "However, I do believe it has something to do with the Potter boy. Gryffindor suit you?"

Do I get a choice in the matter? I thought.

"Not really," the hat said. "Normally yes, but you're an odd case."

Thanks, I thought as it called out Gryffindor. I went and sat down next to the bushy haired girl that was Hermione Granger.

I didn't talk to anybody during the feast, nor on the way to the Gryffindor common room. The password was Caput Draconis, which, from the little I'd read, I knew had something to do with a dragon. I knew it was Latin anyway. I walked up to the first-years dorm with Hermione and I was given the bed at the top of the room. The first thing I did was get ready for bed. I took off my robes and hung them up in my wardrobe. There was one thing I didn't put away: my copy of the book I was now living.

_A/N :O... Yikes, I kinda promised myself no fanfiction for two weeks, but that obviously hasn't worked out. Why is fanfiction so damn good??_

_So, the idea of this came to me when I was doing what I promised myself I would be doing: studying for my 'really long tests'. I don't call them exams, it scares me. I thought, what would happen if there was somebody that knew what happened? Would the trio listen to them? And that's when I started writing the fic. My friend's jealous. She can't write as fast as me._

_Kidding Gabs.. You know I love you._

_So, please review and tell me what you think. I can't promise I'll abandon it if people don't like it, but I might. _

_Actually, no I won't, but I still want to know._

_Love Gabi xx_


	2. Why?

The first day of classes was hectic. I woke up with Hermione bustling around the dormitory looking for her robes... she was wearing them. But that's not the worst bit. It was six o'clock. I mean, if she was leaving for school that was an hour away, by all means, get up and get ready at six, but we're at the school, and breakfast is only seven floors down. I gave up trying to go back to sleep and got ready for the day's classes. I went down to the Gryffindor common room with Hermione, and read some more of my book. She was reading _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_, for what I could only guess was the umpteenth time. When other people finally started coming into the common room, Hermione and I finally went down to the Great Hall.

There, we got our timetables. From my reading of the book, I knew the only one that would be terribly important to Harry was double Potions with the Slytherins, on Friday. Astronomy was on Wednesday at midnight (a great time for eleven year olds to be up...). History of Magic was most boring, as the book had said. Professor Binns droned on and on. Everybody took notes, but in time Hermione would be the only person still doing it. Charms was easily my favourite subject. Closely followed by Transfiguration. Which wasn't as hard as everybody made it out to be. I managed to turn my match into a needle even more quickly than Hermione did (although I didn't say, because Hermione was supposed to be the know-it-all).

Defence Against the Dark Arts was indeed a joke. All Professor Quirrell did was stutter. And his classroom smelt of garlic. The story of how he got his turban wasn't too convincing either, although I was the only person at that point who knew the real story. I didn't say anything. That would ruin the story wouldn't it?

Friday was the first day that I made it down to breakfast without getting lost. The castle was confusing, and very large. She sat with Harry and Ron on one side, and Hermione on the other.

"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge. Deja vu much?

"Double potions," I blurted out. "With the Slytherins."

Ron looked at me weirdly. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favours them – we'll be able to see if it's true."

I wasn't supposed to say that was I? They kept talking while I pulled out my book and started reading this chapter again. I wasn't in there: not that I was complaining, but surely there would be some mention of me?

The owls flew in through the high windows in the Hall. Hedwig, Harry's snow white owl, was even more beautiful than I imagined her to be. She flew down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's (rather full) plate. While Harry read the letter from Hagrid asking if Harry wanted to go to his hut in the afternoon, I gave Hedwig some of my left over toast, which she nibbled on, before taking Harry's reply to Hagrid.

We got up from the table and wandered down to the Potions dungeon in dribs and drabs. It was a lot colder in the dungeons, so I pulled my jumper out of my bag and put it on. The dungeons were really creepy: not just because the walls were made of a dark-green brick, but because there were jars around the walls with pickled animals and plants floating in them. I mean, ew.

Severus Snape let the Slytherins sit where they wanted, but the Gryffindors had to go in an alphabetical seating plan. Which meant I was next to Harry. Snape paused at Harry's name on the register and looked up at our table. "Ah yes," he said. "Harry Potter. Our new... celebrity."

I shivered where I sat as Draco Malfoy and his idiot cronies sniggered. Snape went on with the register, and I immediately pulled out my note book and a quill, remembering what came next. As Snape started his creepy monologue about how Potions was a 'subtle science' or some thing, I wrote down the answers to the questions that Snape was going to ask Harry.

"Potter!" Snape said as I finished writing out the answers. I subtly pushed the book towards Harry, the answers facing up, so all he had to do was look down. I didn't want those points taken off of Gryffindor. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Please look at the paper, I thought frantically. Harry glanced down at it, but he looked a bit sceptical as he read my answer. "I don't know, sir," Harry said. I groaned internally.

"Fame clearly isn't everything," Snape tutted. "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione's hand stretched high into the air as Harry looked down at my paper again. Would he listen this time? No, he wouldn't.

"I don't know, sir," Harry said as Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle laughed at Hermione.

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Snape asked. Having been taught well by my brother, I cursed under my breath before looking back at Professor Snape, who was still ignoring Hermione's hand. "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Hermione stood up this time. Harry didn't even look down at the paper before answering, "I don't know." I groaned, knowing what was coming next. "I think Hermione does, thought, why don't you try her?"

I had to refrain from hitting myself over the head. A few people laughed, but Snape's face contorted into a expression of rage.

"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. I took my page back as Snape came up close to our table and spat in Harry's face. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death." I looked down at my paper and nodded. "A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well?" he added to the class. "Why aren't you all copying that down?"

As people rummaged around in their bags for quills and parchment, Harry looked over at me quizzically. Perhaps wondering how I knew what he was going to ask? I don't know, but it didn't matter.

"And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

The calling the students by their last names was really starting to annoy me.

Snape put us all into pairs and got us to work on a potion to cure boils. Except, there was an extra person than there should be (haha, me, in other words), so I was put with Harry and Ron. Snape swept around the classroom judging us on our potions work, watching as we weighed dried nettles and crushed snake fangs. He criticised everybody... apart from Malfoy, and a few other of the Slytherins. I looked up as Snape was telling everybody to look at Malfoy's perfect horned slugs, and whispered over to Neville and Seamus, who were working next to us.

"Don't add the quills!" I said, just as Neville added them. I groaned as a cloud of acid green smoke billowed from the cauldron, and there was a loud hissing noise. I jumped up on my stool, the rest of the class following my lead. As the smoke cleared, Neville moaned in pain as boils started to break out on his skin.

"Idiot boy!" Snape snarled as he cleared the spilled potion away with a wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire? Take him to the hospital wing," he spat as Seamus, who had only narrowly missed being covered by the potion himself. Then he turned on us.

"You – Potter - " I jumped, though I knew he was talking to Harry. "Why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

Harry opened his mouth to retaliate, but Ron and I both kicked him behind the cauldron so that he almost doubled over. "Don't push it," I said.

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."

**

"Cheer up," Ron said to Harry as we left the dungeon an hour later. "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"

"Me too?" I asked.

**

We left the castle at five to three and made our way to Hagrid's wooden hut across the grounds.

"Why is there a crossbow here?" Ron asked as Harry knocked on the door. There was a scrambling from inside, and the three of us jumped back when we heard booming barks from the other side of the door.

"Back, Fang, back," I heard Hagrid say. Hagrid's face appeared through a crack in the door as he opened it. "Hang on a tick," he said, and he let us in. He was struggling to keep a hold of the collar of Fang, the big black boarhound. The single room was decorated... how to say?... eclectically. Yes. There were hams and pheasants hanging from the ceiling, and there was a copper kettle boiling on the fire. In the corner was a massive bed with a patchwork quilt.

"Make yerslves at home," Hagrid said as he let go of Fang, who went straight for Ron. Ron squirmed as Fang started licking his ears.

"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid.

"Another Weasley, eh?" Hagrid asked, glancing at Ron. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest! And who's this?" he asked, pointing at me.

"Sally Potter," I supplied.

"Oh, ye'd be Summer's daugher?" he asked. As I nodded, not really knowing who exactly Summer was, Hagrid went on to say, "so, yer Harry's cousin then?"

"I thought the only cousin I had was Dudley," Harry said, confused. Eek!!! This wasn't in the book.

"Sorry," Hagrid said. "Of course. I forgot they weren't brother and sister. They were really good friends though..." Hagrid was a really bad liar, although Harry and Ron couldn't yet tell how good (or bad) Hagrid was at covering up his mistakes. I smiled at Hagrid. Did he know that I wasn't supposed to be here?

Hagrid gave us rock cakes for afternoon tea, but they were really hard; they almost knocked our teeth out. We all pretended to enjoy them though, because Hagrid had put a lot of effort into making them. We talked to Hagrid about how we like Hogwarts so far, and we're surprised (and delighted) to hear him call Filch, the caretaker, 'that old git'.

Then Harry decided to tell Hagrid about the Potions class earlier that day. I knew it was coming, but I hoped that it wouldn't.

"Don't worry, Harry," Hagrid said. "Snape don' like mos' students."

"But he seemed to really _hate_ me."

"Rubbish!" Hagrid said. "Why should he?"

I didn't know the answer to this, but I knew that Hagrid was lying. He changed the topic, and started talking to Ron about his brother, Charlie. As he did, I noticed a paper cutting from _The Daily Prophet_, the wizarding newspaper. I picked it up, and nudged Harry. We read it together.

_ GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST_

_Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unkown._

_Gringotts' goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day._

_"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts' spokesgoblin this afternoon._

"Hagrid," Harry said. "That Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

Hagrid definitely lied this time, and Harry could tell. "Don't be ridiculous," he said, offering us both another rock cake. We looked at each other, and Harry read the story again. I knew of course what it was that had happened, but I wasn't going to tell Harry. Harry had to figure it out himself...

As we walked back up to the castle, our pockets were filled with rock cakes that we'd been to polite to refuse. I threw mine out the dorm window as soon as I could, and saw some of the owls swoop out and grab them in their beaks. As I went to sleep, only one thought was on my mind. Well, two actually.

Why was I here? And why did Snape hate Harry so much?

* * *

**Hey readers... So, I'm not really supposed to be going on the internet, or writing (my own rules, so I couldn't help but break).**

**But, it was really bugging me leaving this story... I really think that this story has potential.**

**So, please, tell me what you think. I really appreciate reviews and stuff... so yeah.**

**A big thanks you to **

** - **If I Had My Way -i would rule-, the first to review my story. Thanks so much!!

- RaindropsOnTheRooftop - love you Gab!! You always read my stories... It means so much

- And Melora, who doesn't have a profile. Thanks for reviewing, and thanks for the link to that site!!

**These guys were my reviewers last time.**

**Love Gabi xx  
**


	3. Please

There were only four words that I was dreading now. And Hermione said them on Saturday morning when she was trying to get me up. "Flying lessons start Thursday," she said, and I sat bot upright in bed. Flying lessons? On Thursday? The ones where Quirrell mistakes Neville for Harry, and Harry gets picked for the Quidditch team. Woah, sorry, getting ahead of myself. There was still a whole five days before Thursday. I decided not to care about people's broomstick stories. I talked to Hermione mostly, but she would have read _Quidditch Through the Ages_ by Thursday. But Neville and Harry, like me, had never been on broomsticks in our lives.

"Don't you think all this Quidditch hype is just that?" I asked them.

"Quidditch isn't just hype!" Neville told me.

"I think it is," Harry said. "I mean, what can be so extraordinary about speeding around on a broomstick?"

"Exactly!" I said. "It's just some idiots flying around on broomsticks."

"Don't let Ron hear you say that," Harry said. "He's already had a fight with Dean Thomas about football. Ron doesn't see what's so good about it. What's more, is that Ron tried to make the players in the poster move."

"I think somebody's a bit obsessed..."

**

"Are you listening to Hermione?" I asked. Thursday morning, breakfast. Hermione was droning on, similar to Professor Binns, about flying tips from _Quidditch Through the Ages._

"Nope," Ron said, looking up as the post came in. Hermione was upset when it did, because she had to finish her lecture, and Neville was too, because he had been listening to it. However, Neville received a package from his Gran. A barn owl landed in front of him, and he rippd open the package excitedly. I knew what it was.

"What is that?" Harry asked.

"It's a Remembrall!" Neville said. "Gran knows I forget things. This tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this, and if it turns red...." he trailed off as the smoke inside of the glass ball turned red.

"You've forgotten something," I finished.

Neville screwed his face up, trying to remember what he'd forgotten when the Three Musketeers came by, and snatched the ball from his hands. I pulled Harry and Ron down before they could get up.

"What's going on?" Professor McGonagall asked, rushing over to the table.

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor," Neville said, almost crying. Did he have to be such a wimp right now?

Malfoy quickly dropped the ball before he got in trouble. "Just looking," he said, and he walked off with Crabbe and Goyle following closely behind.

"Harry and Neville," I said suddenly.

"What?" they asked.

"I don't think you should go to the flying class," I said.

"Why not?" Ron said.

"I have a feeling something bad is going to happen."

"Oh, that's ridiculous Sally," Ron said. "It's a flying class. What could possibly go wrong?"

Everything, I thought to myself, although I decided not to say it.

**

At three-thirty that afternoon, internally kicking myself as I did, I walked down to the grounds with the other Gryffindor first years. It was a fine day, a bit breezy, but not too windy. We were heading down to a smooth lawn area opposite the forbidden forest. The Slytherins were already there when we got there. Twenty broomsticks were lined neatly on the grass in four rows of five. Slytherins had already taken the back two rows, so we had to take the first two rows.

Madam Hooch had short, gray hair, and her eyes were yellow: almost as if they were a hawks eyes. She barked at us to stand by a broom, and then she blew her whistle. My broomstick had twigs sticking out at odd angles, and the handle was splintering. I hoped to God that there was a cushioning charm.

"Stick out your right hand over the broom and say say 'UP!'" Madam Hooch called at us. I did as she said, thinking that mine wouldn't go up first time. I was wrong. Only three brooms went up straight away: mine, Harry's and Draco Malfoy's. I swear, he is the most rotten boy that ever walked the planet. Except perhaps Tom Riddle...

When everybody had their brooms in their hands, which took about five minutes, Madam Hooch showed us how to mount our brooms. I got it right (and the broom did have a cushioning charm on it!!!). When she told Malfoy that he'd been doing it wrong for years, and all the Gryffindor's got very excited, she went back up the front and blew her whistle again for our attention.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," Madam Hooch said. I exchanged a glance with Hermione, who had raised her eyebrows. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly."

I shut my eyes, knowing what was coming. I kept them close as Madam Hooch started counting down. "Come back, boy!" Madam Hooch shouted, and I opened my eyes to see Neville jerking around in the air. Neville slipped off his broom and hit the ground. There was a nasty crack as his wrist broke, and he burst into tears. Nobody rushed over, too shocked to do anything. I caught Harry looking at me weirdly, and didn't hear Madam Hooch say not to go on the brooms.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?" Malfoy laughed as soon as they were out of earshot. The other Slytherins joined in with the laughter.

"Shut up Malfoy!" I snapped. "It wasn't his fault."

"Are we sticking up for Longbottom?" Pansy Parkinson sneered.

"I suppose you don't understand the concept of friendship," I said, slowly as Malfoy darted towards a glistening orb on the grass.

I kicked myself internally.

"Look!" Malfoy shouted. "It's the stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

"Give it here Malfoy," Harry said. Everybody stopped talking and started to watch.

"Don't start a fight Harry," I whispered to him. He nodded slowly. Yeah, he was going to start a fight. Malfoy smiled nastily.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to collect.... How about up a tree?" He got on his broomstick and kicked off hard. He flew until he was hovering level with the top branches of an oak. "Come and get it, Potter!" I rolled my eyes. Why the last names again?

Harry kicked off on his broom as Hermione and I both shouted 'NO!' He didn't listen to us.

He really was a natural flier. He was excellent. A few of the Gryffindors 'whooped' and Harry whirled around to face Malfoy in mid-air. Malfoy was shocked, stunned, and upset.

"Give it here!" Harry called. "Or I'll knock you off that broom!"

"I'd like to see you try Potter," Malfoy spat. He tried sneering, but a smile broke out on my face as I realised he was worried.

Harry grabbed his broom and shot at Malfoy, like a javelin. Malfoy dodged it, and Harry made a sharp turn before facing Malfoy again.

"OI MALFOY!" I called. I knew Harry was supposed to say it, but I really wanted to. And, I wasn't even supposed to be there anyway. "There's no Crabbe and Goyle up there to save your neck now, is there?"

Malfoy looked worried, and then turned back to face Harry. "Catch it if you can, Potter."

Malfoy threw the Remembrall high into the air, and flew back down to the ground in almost the same second. I quickly got on my broom and rose up into the air as Harry flew after the orb. I must admit, sheepishly, that I was scared of what Malfoy would do. I have read books one to five. I looked up just in time to see Harry catch the ball in his hand, and fly back down to where cheers were awaiting him. I flew down too.

As people were cheering him, I looked over towards the castle, and saw Professor McGonagall storming towards us.

"HARRY POTTER!" Her voice thundered across the grounds. Finally, somebody who was clear in who they wanted.

I was happy know, because Gryffindor was getting a seeker, but the rest of the Gryffindor's faces fell, and they were immediately nervous.

"Never, in all my time at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said as she rushed towards them. She was almost speechless, and her nostrils started flaring. "How _dare _you? You might have broken your neck!"

"It wasn't his fault Professor," Parvati Patil said.

"Be quiet Miss Patil."

"But Malfoy - " Ron started.

"That's _enough_ Mr Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."

I take back the being clear thing.

I looked over to see Malfoy's triumphant face as they left.

"Hehe," Malfoy laughed. "Looks like Potter isn't going to be here tomorrow."

"I wouldn't be so sure," I told him. "I have a feeling he isn't going to be in trouble."

"Like you know anything," Malfoy said. "Who are you again?"

I rolled my eyes as Madam Hooch rejoined the class.

**

"You're. Joking." That was Ron's reaction to Harry being accepted onto the Quidditch team. It was dinner time, and the Great Hall was packed with students.

"Congratulations Harry," I said.

"Thanks Sally," he said.

"Seeker?" Ron asked, almost speechless. "But first years _never_ make the house teams."

"You must be the youngest player in a century," I said.

"Yeah," Harry said as he shovelled pie into his mouth. I started eating my own pie. Ron was still speechless, so he just gaped at Harry.

"I start training next week," Harry said. "Don't tell anyone though... Wood wants to keep it a secret."

Ah yes, Oliver Wood. Fifth year, Gryffindor, House Quidditch Captain.

Fred and George Weasley, Ron's older twin brothers, spotted the three of us and came over. They sat on either side of Ron, while I was sitting next to Harry.

"Well done," one of them said, I think it was George. I couldn't tell the difference. "Wood told us."

"We're on the team too," the other continued. "Beaters."

"We are soo going to win that Quidditch cup this year!"

"We haven't won since Charlie left, but this years team is going to be brilliant! You must be good, Harry."

"Yeah, Wood was almost skipping when he told us!"

"We'd better go though. Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Bet it's the one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you guys." The twins got up and left, and less than a minute later, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle showed up. Oh the joys of boarding school.

"Having a last meal, Potter?" Malfoy sneered. "When are you getting the train back to the muggles?"

"You're a lot braver now you're back on the ground," Harry said.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Now that you've got your little friends with you."

There is nothing little at all about Crabbe and Goyle excpet their brains. Peanut sized I swear.

"I'd take you on any time on my own," said Malfoy defensively. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only – no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he has," Ron said, wheeling around. I hit myself over the head. I was over kicking myself internally. "I'm his second... who's yours?"

Malfoy made a show of sizing up Crabbe and Goyle. "Crabbe," he said, deciding Crabbe was bigger. "Midnight, all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room, that's always unlocked." He walked away with his robes billowing behind him.

"What's a wizard's duel?" Harry asked. "And what do you mean, second?"

"A second's there to take over if you die," I explained.

"But people only die in proper duels!" Ron rushed to patch up as Harry turned pale. "You know, with real wizards... The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other."

"Ron has a point," I said. "Neither of you know enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse anyway."

"And, what do I do if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron said. Although I was expecting it, I still laughed.

"Excuse me," Hermione interrupted. Ron jumped: she was standing behind him. Harry and I both groaned the same groan.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" Rong asked.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying-" Hermione said, ignoring Ron.

"Bet you could," Ron said sarcastically.

"-and you _musn't _go wandering around the school at night. Think of all the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"And, Hermione, it's really none of your business," I said.

"Goodbye," Harry and Ron said at the same time, and she stalked off.

"She has a point though," I said after she left.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think you should go."

"Is this some sort of woman instinct?" Harry asked.

"Harry, haven't you learnt to trust my instincts yet? Ron, do you remember what I said during the sorting? And Harry, in Potions last week? And this morning at breakfast?"

They thought for a moment.

"We're still going," Harry said, a few moments later. "Are you coming?"

* * *

OMIGOSH!!!!!! Over 2500 words w/out the authors note!!! Wi-5!!

Anyways, a huge big thanks to

RaindropsOnTheRooftop - Thanks for always being one of the first to review my stories/chapters. You always keep an open mind, and you don't judge until you read. Thanks for being a great friend.

and

If I Had My Way -i would rule- - Thanks for being the person I don't know that reviews. You give such great reviews, and good advice. Hope you liked this chapter!

To the rest of you - Please review. I like reviews. They come as emails, and I love emails. They brighten up my day.

Love you all heaps..

Gabi xx


	4. Midnight Duel

I lay awake in my bed, listening to the other people in the dorm. Hermione was pretending to be asleep. I say pretending, because she would occasionally let out a little snore, and sharing a dorm with her for the past two weeks taught me that she didn't snore. Ron had spent the rest of the day giving Harry tips about the duel, which so wasn't going to happen. I looked at my clock. Half-past eleven. The time I told Harry and Ron I'd meet them down in the common room. I grabbed my wand and crept down the stairs, and I heard Hermione follow me. She really could be annoying.

"Hey guys," I said as I met up with the two boys.

"Hi," Harry said.

"Hermione followed me," I whispered.

"What?"

"I can't believe you're going to do this Harry," Hermione's voice said as a lamp flickered on. She had a frown on her face, and she was staring furiously at Harry, not even acknowledging the presence of the red head and myself.

"_You!_" Ron said furiously. "Go back to bed!"

"I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped. "Percy – he's a prefect and he'd put a stop to this."

How can any one person be so interfering? "Come on," Harry said, and the three of us climbed through the portrait hole. Hermione followed us, as I knew she would.

"Don't you _care_ about Gryffindor?" Hermione hissed. "Do you only care about yourselves? I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."

"Hermione!" I said, rolling my eyes. "Go away."

"Fine!" she spat. "But I warned you. Just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow. You're so-"

Hermione had turned to find the portrait of the Fat Lady empty. "So what?" I asked. I'd really wanted to find out what she'd have said to Harry and Ron.

"Now what am I going to do?" she started to sob. Another wish not coming true...

"That's your problem," Ron said. "We've got to go," he added, turning to Harry and me. "We're going to be late otherwise."

"I'm coming with you," she said, turning around and catching up with us before we'd reached the end of the corridor.

"No, you are not," Ron said. Tension much?

"Do you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all four of us, I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you and you can back me up." She smiled.

"You've got some nerve-"

"Shut up!" Harry and I both said at the same time. "I heard something," Harry went on.

There was indeed a sort of squeaking/snuffling noise coming from the end of the hall way.

"Mrs Norris?" Ron breathed, squinting and wishing it wasn't.

"No," I said. "It's Neville." Neville was asleep, curled up on the floor, but he woke up as I shook his shoulder.

"Oh, Sally," he said. "Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the password-"

"Shh, Neville," I said. "The password's Pig snout, but it won't help you right now."

"The Fat Lady's gone off somewhere," Hermione said bitterly.

"How's your arm?" Harry asked.

"Oh, fine," he said, lifting his arm up and showing us. "Mada Pomfrey mended it in about a minute!"

"Good," Ron said. "Well, look Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later!"

"Don't leave me here!" Neville cried. "I don't want to stay here alone. The Bloody Baron's been past twice already!"

"Hermione can stay with you," I suggested.

"No. Way." Hermione glared at me.

Ron checked his watch. "If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learnt that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about and used it on you."

"Not now Hermione," I said before Hermione could open her mouth. We crept on down to the third floor and found our way to the trophy room.

"Can I just take this moment to say that maybe we should go back to our dorms," I said.

"No," Ron said, looking at his watch. "He's late. Maybe he's chickened out."

"I don't think he was ever going to come," I said. We stood in the room, watching the moonlight catch on the trophies, and the trophies shimmering. Then we edged along the walls, keeping our eyes on the doors. There was a noise from the next room, and everybody but me jumped. Harry raised his wand and I was about ready to dart out the door when somebody spoke.

"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

"That's not Malfoy," Ron whispered as they turned around. It was indeed. I would wait until we got back to the common room to say 'I told you so.'

We'd only just got around the corner when Filch entered the trophy room. "They're in here somewhere, probably hiding," he said, as we crept silently through a room filled with suits of armour. Neville let out a squeak and broke into a run, so we all followed suit... except for the squeaking part.

Neville tripped, grabbed Ron, and the two of them fell into a suit of armour. Cue adrenaline rush.

"RUN!" Harry and I yelled, sprinting through the door at the end of the room. The five of us whirled around the corner. After a few minutes of running away, we had no absolutely no idea where we were, and they had no idea where we were going to end up. I did of course. I'd read the book. For now we ducked along a hidden passageway hidden behind a tapestry, and we found ourselves near the Charms classroom.

"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was wheezing and spluttering. Hermione was clutching at a stitch in her chest, and Ron was looking a bit peaky. Even me, the one that was the best runner at my school, was feeling a bit drained after that. Well, it wasn't over yet.

"I told you," I said as we all caught our breaths.

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower... quickly as possible," Ron said.

"Possibly one of the smartest things you've ever said Ron," I muttered.

"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You do realise that don't you? He was never going to meet you – Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room. Malfoy must have tipped him off."

"Hermione, has anybody ever told you that you are painfully annoying, and you point obvious things out?" I asked through gritted teeth. Now was really not the time.

"She's probably right though," Harry said. "Let's go."

I groaned, and then groaned again when I realised I'd been doing a lot of that lately. A doorknob rattled, and Peeves came shooting out of a classroom, and spotting us, gave a squeal of delight. Then he cackled.

"Shut up, Peeves, please," Hermione said. "You'll get us thrown out."

"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties?" Peeves cackled. "Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please," Hermione begged.

"Should tell Filch, I should," Peeves said, all saint-like. His eyes were glinting with wickedness though. "It's for your own good you know."

"Get out of the way," Ron snapped, taking a swipe at Peeves. That was a mistake and a half.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves yelled. "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

We ducked under Peeves, and ran for the door at the end of the corridor: the locked door. The out-of-bounds third floor corridor.

"That's it," Ron moaned. "We're done for! This is the end!"

Filch's footsteps could be heard running towards the sound of Peeve's voice.

"Alohomora!" I shouted, pointing my wand at the door, forgetting for a second what was on the other side. I remembered as soon as we locked the door behind us. The four of them put their ear to the door and listened, while I stepped up close to Fluffy and started humming quietly. The three-headed dog started to droop quietly off to sleep.

"Which way did they go Peeves?" Filch asked. "Quick, tell me!"

"Say 'please,'" Peeves said.

"Don't mess me about Peeves. _Where did they go?_"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," Peeves sang. I kept on humming, not wanting the dog to wake up.

"All right!" cried Filch in desperation. "Please."

"NOTHING!" Peeves cackled. "Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaa!"

There came sound of Filch cursing, and the three of the others sighed in relief.

"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be OK. Get off Neville."

I turned around and stopped humming. Neville was tugging on the sleeve of Harry's dressing gown. I quickly skipped back to the group before they could notice I'd been with the monster before them.

"What?" Harry asked. He turned around, and fear struck his face as he saw the large, three-headed dog. Fluffy: he had three sets of rolling, mad, brown eyes; three noses that were twitching as the dog stirred from it's sleep; three drooling mouths, with yellowish fangs that had saliva dripping from them. I was surprised I hadn't thrown up yet. All six of it's eyes were staring at us, waking up from it's sleep, and it's thunderous growls meant it was getting angry... Angry?

Harry lunged for the doorknob, and we fell out of the corridor. We ran all the way back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Filch was nowhere to be seen, meaning he'd gone off to look for us somewhere else. Not that we particularly minded of course. We didn't stop running until we almost ran into the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, her eyes darting between the five of us, looking at our dressing gowns and wands, and our flushed faces.

"Never mind that," Harry panted. "Pig snout, pig snout." The portrait swung forward, and we scrambled into the common room, falling over each other, and found armchairs, which we gladly collapsed into. Neville got up and went to his dormitory.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" Ron asked after what seemed like hours. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."

Hermione had got her bad temper back. Such a shame... she was much better without a bad temper.

"You don't use your eyes any of you do you?" she asked, glaring at us all. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at it's feet... I was too busy keeping an eye on all of it's heads."

"It was on a trapdoor," I said, and Hermione looked happy that at least one person used their eyes. Well, I didn't see the trapdoor, I just knew it was there.

"Exactly," Hermione said. "It's obviously guarding something." She got up from her armchair and glared at us. "Well, I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed – or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed. Are you coming Sally?"

Hermione stalked up the stairs to the dormitory without waiting for an answer.

"She needs to sort out her priorities," I said. I knew that line was only in the movie, but it was such a good line, and it had to be said.

"No," Ron said. "We don't mind as a matter of fact. You'd think we'd dragged her along, wouldn't you?"

"What could the dog be guarding?" I asked, knowing already. I just wanted to make sure Harry was thinking it too. I turned around and went off to bed, hoping that Hermione wouldn't tell me off once I got there. She didn't seem to notice that I'd come in, so I went straight to my four poster bed and drew the curtains around it, not wanting to talk to Hermione. I went to sleep soon after, thinking about the valuable little stone that was in the grubby package from vault seven-one-three.

**

Draco Malfoy was furious the next morning when he saw that Harry, Ron and I were still at Hogwarts. We were tired, but we were overly cheerful, because Malfoy was so upset. By the next morning, the three of us were already laughing about the last nights adventure, and were looking forward to another one. See what magic school does to you? It makes you think things you'd never have thought of before.

Harry was busy filling us in on the package that contained the Philosopher's Stone (not actually knowing what it was yet... I was the only one who knew).

"It's either really valuable, or really dangerous," Ron speculated.

"Or both," I said. They didn't have much chance of guessing what the two-inch stone was without getting more clues. Neville and Hermione were completely ignoring the three of us that morning, neither one showing any interest in what was under the trap door. Neville never wanted to go near the dog again. We weren't really bothered about Hermione not talking to us.

Harry, Ron and I spent the better half of the day ignoring our teachers and speculating what the stone could be. They didn't have much luck to be honest...

* * *

**Okay, sorry about the short chapterness [I mean, it's not that short, but it's still shorter than the rest, (except the first chapter)].**

**Big thanks to those who reviewed. I can't remember who you all are, so I'm not going to name you, but thanks again. I promise I'll mention you next chapter if you review!!**

**So go ahead and press that button there... you know you want to. It's sooo tempting isn't it??**

**Anyways, enjoy the chapter. There might not be another one for a while, because I'm having a bit of trouble with this one, and mind is full of Taylor Swift songs and chapters for my other Harry Potter story.. The Guardian.. **

**Those chapters are now longer too..**

**Love Gabi xx**


	5. Nimbus

About a week later the three of us were eating out breakfast in the Great Hall (I mean, where else were we going to eat it?) when the post arrived. The post arriving wasn't anything special. Never is, unless you count today. Because today was the day that Harry's Numbus Two Thousand arrived. (!!) I kept my head in my _Daily Prophet_ while six larch screech owls dropped a long thin package in front of me and Harry on one side, and Ron on the other. As soon as I heard the thud, I looked up to see a letter being held out to Harry, and saw Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore share a smile.

"Open the letter first," I said when Harry went to reach out and unwrap the broomstick. He looked at me for a moment and then ripped open the letter. I watched as his eyes scanned the page and a smile break out across his face. Then he handed the letter to me and I read it with a smile on my face. It was hard not to smile when Harry did.

_DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE_. Well, I knew that bit already, otherwise it would already be opened.

_It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch pitch at seven o'clock for your first training session._

_Professor M. McGonagall_

I handed the note over to Ron and faced the head table. McGonagall caught my eye and winked. I chuckled to myself before facing my (cold) toast again.

"What are you laughing at?" Harry asked.

"Nothing," I said. He gave me the eyebrow.

"I didn't know you could do the eyebrow," I remarked. He didn't stop.

"McGonagall doesn't want people to know that you've got..." I motioned to the parcel that was unopened on the table. He nodded. "It's pretty kind of obvious."

"It is a bit," Ron said. "But, a Nimbus Two Thousand! I've never even touched one!"

"Let's go upstairs and unwrap it before it's time for class," I suggested. That was a bad suggestion. Malfoy saw us leaving the hall and stopped us from going halfway across the entrance hall. Malfoy snatched the package from Harry, which I don't think was very nice.

"That's a broomstick," he said, jealousy clear on his face, and I thought I could see a look of being impressed, but that was only briefly. "You'll be for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."

"Can we be clear with the Potter issue?" I asked, but nobody heard me because Ron was speaking over me.

"It's not any old broomstick," he said. "It's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy? A Comet Two Sixty? Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."

"What would you know about it, Weasley," Malfoy spat. "You couldn't afford half the handle!" Malfoy paused so that he and Tweedledum and Tweedledee could laugh at this. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't finish that insult," I warned. Malfoy stopped and stared at me, but before he could say anything, Professor Flitwick appeared at his elbow.

"Not arguing I hope," he squeaked.

"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor." Malfoy jumped at the oppurtunity to get Harry in trouble. He always would.

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Flitwick, beaming at the three of us (the ones that weren't in Slytherin). "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. What model is it?"

"A Nimbus Two Thousand," Harry said, and the three of us were trying not to laugh at the look on Malfoy's face. I can't describe it, he was just so horrified.

"And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that he's got it," I added, as we ran off and fell into fits of laughter at the top of the Marble Staircase. "Well it's true," I said. "If he hadn't stolen the remembrall, Harry wouldn't be on the team."

"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking the rules?" a familiar, angry voice said from behind us. I groaned, and turned around to face Hermione.

"I thought you weren't speaking to us," Harry said, doing the same. I noticed that Hermione was looking disgustedly at the package in Harry's hand. Actually, now that I thought about it properly, I suppose she was right, but I didn't care at the moment.

"Yes, don't stop now, it's doing us so much good," Ron snorted. Hermione looked close to tears and marched away with her nose high in the air.

"Did you have to be that rude guys?" I asked. "I mean, we might not like her, but do you think we should be that rude to somebody in our own house?"

"Yeah," Ron and Harry said in unison. I cursed under my breath and followed them up to the common room. We didn't have enough time to unwrap the broom there, so we decided to leave it until after dinner. Then we went down to Transfiguration. I was partnered with Hermione today.

"Hey Hermione," I said cheerily.

"Potter," she muttered.

"Look, I'm sorry about this morning. Harry and Ron are boys. We both know that boys don't think before they say things."

Hermione laughed a little bit. "Maybe we should get on with our work," she said, pointing towards the table. Today it was twigs to matches.

"Psst, Sally," Harry leaned across the table to say. "How do you do the spell?" It was half way through the lesson and Hermione and I had already succeeded in completing the spell, so we were writing notes on the spell in our note books.

"You point your wand at the twig, and say the spell," I explained.

"I know that," he said.

"Do you know what you're supposed to be doing?" I asked. I had a feeling that Harry wouldn't be concentrating on lessons today. No, I knew he wouldn't be. His mind was on his Nimbus Two Thousand.

"No," he admitted, and I rolled my eyes, getting up to go over and help him out. His mind really was in the clouds (get it, broomstick, clouds? Ahaha I'm so funny!!)

Harry ate his dinner really quickly that night... it was like he got to the table, sat down and left the table one minute later. So did Ron. I wasn't bothered. It's only Quidditch and a broomstick. Hermione and I rolled our eyes. We'd made up a bit during the day.

"So, why does Harry have a broomstick again?" Hermione asked when we got back up to our dorm. Lavender, Parvati and Eloise were still down at dinner, or socialising with friends from other houses.

"You remember our disastrous flying lesson?" I asked. Of course she did, she remembered everything. And we'd had no flying lessons since.

"Of course I do," she said. "That was the day of the 'duel'."

I'd forgotten it was only a week ago. And none of us had mentioned the night of the duel yet.

"Yeah well, when McGonagall took Harry, she wasn't telling him off. She got the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, and talked to him about Harry joining the team. So Harry is now seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

"I don't get the point of Quidditch," Hermione sighed.

"Neither do I," I said. "But it's okay... they're boys, and it's a sport. Did you know Ron tried to put a spell on Dean's poster of West Ham."

"What's West Ham?" she asked. Seriously, for a girl who knew a hell of a lot, she didn't know that much.

"A soccer team," I said. Shoot! She's British, and I'm Australian!

"What's soccer?" she asked.

"It's what we call football where I come from," I said.

"Oh. I've heard of that."

"Most people have..."

**

"So how was Quidditch practice Harry?" I asked the next morning at breakfast. I hadn't gone back down to the common room last night because I was super tired, and I was talking to Hermione.

"It was good," Harry said, beaming. "Wood told me that I could be better than Charlie Weasley, and that Charlie could have played Quidditch for England."

"Why didn't Charlie play Quidditch for England?" I asked Ron, already knowing the answer.

"He's a dragon... person," Ron muttered. Now it was to another weekend. Except I didn't know what was going to happen, because between the first Quidditch and Hallowe'en, there was a big gap, just for my sake. I'd shoved a bookmark into my book at this point, a stuck a sticky note on the top of my bed to remind me to open it closer to the time.

But for now, I was on my own.

But just a small run-down in what happened during that time:

I became a bit closer with Hermione... Just a little bit.

Harry had been upgraded to three evenings a week.

My potions partner was Malfoy. Eww.

I learnt Defence Against the Dark Arts by myself. Quirrell is a joke.

The whole of Gryffindor found out that Harry got on the Quidditch team. So subsequently, the whole school found out.

Hermione and I shared the top grades in every subject. I'm not sure what this muggle-born thing is, but it's pretty cool.

I constantly asked myself why Hermione wasn't in Ravenclaw. Did the sorting hat know something I didn't? [Well, that's a stupid question, of course it did. Well, I suppose it'll have something to do with the sixth and seventh books (which aren't out yet by the way. I'm not very happy, but I suppose it's spoilers.) and that will explain Hermione's supposed bravery. She was a bit of a crybaby to be honest.]

We had two more flying lessons.

I got a letter from my family.

About that last point: I have no idea how they found out I was here. But they did. Was I actually a witch, and some residual power transported me here? No, that was ridiculous. Maybe Dumbledore told them. But they're in Australia, which is like, twenty four hours away by plane, so I have no idea what's going on. They said they were missing me but they could't afford to have me come home for Christmas. I was going to stay here anyway.

* * *

**Hey, sorry about the short chapterness. I only realised when I started writing it that I had nothing to talk about, so I just decided to make some things up. The next chapter will be longer, I promise (mainly because it's Hallowe'en, and a lot of stuff happens.**

**But thankyou to everybody who reviewed the last chapter!! Much appreciated guys. Even if it's just a few words, please review... otherwise I get sad...**

"**IMPERIO! You brainwashed yet?? Good, now press the button underneath this message, and review."**

**Love Gabi xx**

**PS: The curse will only be lifted when you review, so I'd review.**


	6. Hallowe'en

On Hallowe'en morning, I skipped down to breakfast with my books. I was in an especially good mood, something I was not usually in.

"What's got you so happy?" Ron asked miserably. The fake bats must have been creeping him out. Personally, I liked them. Hallowe'en had always been my favourite holiday, except my mother had never let me or Jason celebrate it. It was great to finally be allowed to.

"Have you guys realised?" I asked them. "We've been at Hogwarts for almost two months now! It's beginning to feel like home!"

"You know," said Harry. "It's beginning to feel like home to me too. Much more than living with my aunt and uncle ever did."

I nodded, sniffing. "Hey, what's that smell?"

"Baking pumpkin," Hermione said, sitting down next to me. Harry and Ron stiffened over the other side of the table. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I agreed.

"What's she doing here?" Ron asked me.

"She's my friend," I said, glaring at him. "Have you got a problem with that."

"Actually," Ron said, "yes."

"That's okay," Hermione said to me, knowing I was closer to the boys. "I'll just leave. I want to get to Charms early."

"I'll come with you," I said. "I have a feeling today's class is going to be good."

"Oh no," Hermione said to me. "You stay here."

She seemed insistent, so I stayed where I was, sadly. I turned back to my eggs and bacon and tried to avoid my friend's eyes.

"You talk to her?" Harry asked.

"Guys, honestly, she's a really nice person," I said. "And maybe you should be a bit nicer to her. She could help you with your homework."

"You help us with our homework," Ron pointed out. "Why do we need her?"

"Both of you could be helped at the same time?" I suggested. "Look, just think about it?" I picked up my book bag and turned to leave the hall.

"Miss Potter?" a voice said as I reached the top of the marble staircase on my way to Charms. I turned around and saw Professor Dumbledore walking up.

"Yes, Professor?" I asked.

"I'd like to talk to you, in my office, please," he said, walking past me. His office? I didn't think I'd ever have to go to his office.

"Of course," I said, and followed him. His office was on the second floor, behind the statue of a gargoyle. He smiled at me mischievously and said the password (Chocolate Frogs). The gargoyle began to spin, revealing a staircase. I followed the Headmaster's lead and hopped on, and it took us all the way to the top, where a plain wooden door stood in front of what I knew was a very large room. There was a single griffin knocker.

"Sally," Professor Dumbledore said, offering me the seat across from his. "You're no doubt wondering what you're doing here at Hogwarts?"

"Of course," I said, knowing that Dumbledore was perhaps the only person that thought me being here was odd.

"Tell me, how did you manage to get here?"

I shifted in my seat. "I don't actually know, Professor. I was reading a book, and I blinked. The next thing I knew, I was standing with the rest of the first years, just before the sorting began."

"Mmm," he said, thinking. "This book you were reading? Did it come with you?"

I nodded cautiously. "I have it with me now."

"May I see it?" he asked, holding out his hands.

I nodded, and reached down into my book bag, taking out the worn book. I hadn't read it in a few months, with nothing happening. Today was the first big event for a while.

The headmaster looked over the front cover, and flipped it over, where a charicature-like drawing of him in brightly coloured clothes was. I tried to supress a giggle.

"Do you know what you're doing here?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "I guess I'm supposed to keep certain things happening," I said. "But, even though everything else in there happens, there's absolutely no mention of me."

"I think you're what's called a facilitator. You're given the version of how things turn out from an outsider's perspective. This 'Rowling' woman obviously knows the story of what happened, but from Harry's point of view. She knows nothing of your existence, and so you're not in the story. In my opinion, this could possibly be a blessing. I find there's always some sort of satisfaction in knowing the real story, in knowing that you've saved the world, even though nobody else knows you have. It's what keeps one modest."

"So, you think I should just keep on doing what I'm doing?" I asked him.

"I think that's best for now," he said. "And don't tell anybody what happens in the end. Not even myself. There's nothing good about spoilers. A good story is all in the suspense."

I smiled at him as he handed the book back and turned to leave. I was at the door when he called my name.

"Yes, Professor?" I asked.

"How many of these books do you have back in Australia?"

"Five," I said. "Up until the end of Harry's fifth year."

"Good," he said. "Don't tell anybody about them."

"Of course," I said, and left the room, realising I was late for charms.

I arrived just as Hermione levitated the feather. I beamed, glad I was not the one who had done it first. I apologised and explained my tardiness to Professor Flitwick, who partnered me with Terry Boot, from Ravenclaw house. He was getting frustrated that Hermione seemed to have done the spell first, even though she was in Gryffindor.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_," he muttered angrily. When it didn't work, he threw his wand down. "I give up," he said. "It's a stupid spell."

"It's not a stupid spell," I said, pulling my own wand out. "And it's not hard either. Look. _Wingardium Leviosa_," I said, using the proper wand movements. The feather slowly headed skywards, much to the anger of Terry. That had been the whole point of me doing it, I decided later.

At the end of class, Harry asked me where I'd been.

"Professor Dumbledore wanted to see me," I said, listening into Ron's complaining about Hermione. "Something about my family."

"Are they okay?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," I nodded, telling him I wanted the subject dropped.

"It's no wonder nobody can stand her," Ron said irritably. "She's a nightmare, honestly!"

Just at that moment, Hermione knocked both me and Harry to the side. I closed my eyes and breathed in.

"I think she heard you," I said sarcastically to Ron.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Harry said quietly.

"So?" Ron asked. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."

I shook my head at him and sped off after Hermione. I caught her in the bathroom just as the bell for the next class rang. I didn't care.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"Stupid git," Hermione sobbed. "I was only trying to help him."

"Hermione," I said, pulling her into a hug. "Listen, he's a boy. Boy's don't know anything about girls, it's just the way they are. I assure you that he's kicking himself over it right now."

Hermione nodded into my shoulder, still sobbing.

"You're a good friend, Sally," she said through her tears. "Thank you."

"That's okay," I said. "Are you going to come to class?"

She shook her head as she stepped away. "I think I'm just going to stay here for a while. You go, I'll be fine."

I knew that she would be, until the feast, but I just nodded and told her to come out when she felt like it, before heading off to class.

At lunch, I told Parvati that Hermione was in the girls toilets and wanted to be left alone, ensuring that she'd tell Lavender, and so that it would get around the rest of the first year Gryffindors. I walked into the Great Hall with Harry and Ron while they overheard this conversation, so they looked a bit uncomfortable. But the decorations put the crying girl out of their minds and we sat down to eat. I made sure to eat very quickly, so I would have energy for the fight ahead. Ron ate some chicken, and Harry was just about to eat his jacket potato when the doors to the Great Hall opened, and Quirrell, in his annoying turban, came running in.

Everybody turned to look at him, myself included. He made his way all the way up to Professor Dumbledore's seat at the High Table when he told his news in a whisper, even though everybody could hear him.

"Troll -" he stuttered. "In the dungeons. Thought you ought to know."

And then he fainted. Everybody screamed, including all the prefects, who should have known better. Some of the Slytherins, Malfoy not included, I was glad to see, thought it was just a hilarious Hallowe'en joke. Professor Dumbledore made several purple firecrackers explode from the end of his wand, and silence was restored across the hall.

"Prefects," he said, a hint of anger in his voice. "Lead your houses back to the dormitories immediately."

Almost straight afterwards, Percy started yelling at the first years to follow him and stick together. The Gryffindors were some of the first out of the hall.

"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked me and Ron as we climbed up the grand staircase.

"Don't ask me," Ron shrugged. "They're supposed to be really stupid. Maybe Peeves let in in for a Hallowe'en joke."

As we walked through about five different groups of people, hurrying in different directions, I pulled the two of them behind a tapestry.

"What was that for?" Ron asked.

"Hermione doesn't know about the troll," I told him.

Ron bit down on his lip, seriously considering letting it get her.

"Ron, you're the reason she's in the toilets in the first place," I said. "You have to tell her."

"Fine," he sighed. "Don't let Percy see us."

I smiled and led them out from behind the tapestry to follow a group of Hufflepuff's going the other way. Then, I ducked down a side corridor and they followed me, heading towards the toilets. There were footsteps following us.

Ron pulled us behind a stone griffin. "Percy," he whispered to us. As the footsteps passed us, we peered out from behind the statue and saw Snape stalking down the corridor. He disappeared from view.

"What's he doing?" Harry asked in a whisper. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"

"Search me," Ron replied.

Harry and Ron took after him, trying to figure out where he was going. "He's headed for the third floor," Harry said. Ron held up his hand.

"Do you smell that?" he asked. I sniffed. Then almost vomited. It was foul – like old socks and public bathrooms that have growths of mould in them. Then there was a low grunting sound, the shuffling of huge feet along a stone floor. The three of us turned our heads in unison to the end of the corridor. The troll was moving towards us, and we shrunk back against the wall.

The skin was the colour of granite, covered in lumps that I didn't even want to know about. It was easily twelve feet tall, and it's miniature head was perched on top like a clay figurine that a child had made. It's legs were short, as thick as tree trunks, and it was holding a wooden club (which was quite possibly a whole tree trunk) which dragged along the ground behind it.

It stopped next to an open doorway, sniffed, and went inside. My stomach dropped.

"The key's in the lock," Harry said. "Maybe we could lock it in?"

"Good idea," Ron said, and they started edging towards the door.

"Guys," I hissed. "Come back!"

Harry leaped towards the door and twisted the key in the lock. The two boys jumped around in victory, and then came back to where I was kicking the wall.

There was an ear-splitting shriek, and both Harry and Ron stared at each other, shocked.

"It's the girls toilets!" I yelled at them.

"Hermione," the said together, and ran back. Harry fumbled with the key, and finally shoved it into the lock. "Confuse it!" I heard Harry say to Ron.

I was torn between helping them and going to get the teachers. Something told me I should go with the latter, and so I ran down to the dungeons, not caring if I got in trouble from anybody. I needed a teacher, and I needed one fast.

I ran up to them, panting.

"What are you doing here, Miss Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked, outraged. "You're supposed to be in your dormitory!"

"I'm sorry," I said, clutching my side. "The troll isn't in the dungeons."

"Miss Potter?" Professor Dumbledore said from behind me. "Where is the troll?"

"First floor bathroom," I said. "Harry, Ron and Hermione are in there."

Professor McGonagall didn't need telling twice, she ran up there as fast as she could. Professor Dumbledore went to go after her, when I intervened.

"You don't go up there," I said to him. "Stay here."

He looked at me carefully, but waved his hand, telling me to go. I took an alternate route up to the bathroom, and made it there before McGonagall met up with Snape and Quirrell, returning from the third floor. I noticed Snape was limping, but didn't say anything about it. I heard a thud from the bathroom, and the three of them started running.

I followed them in, and stood behind them near the door. Professor Snape bent over the troll.

"What on earth were you thinking?" McGonagall asked Harry and Ron angrily. "You're lucky you weren't killed! Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Harry and Ron looked down at the floor. Hermione looked at them sadly. "Please, Professor McGonagall," she said, walking away from the broken sinks. "They were looking for me."

My mouth dropped open. I mean, I knew it was coming, but I was still surprised. One thing I had learnt about Hermione over the past two months was that she was definitely not one to break the rules, and not one to lie. Right now, she was doing both.

"Miss Granger!" McGonagall said.

"I went looking for the troll, because I thought I could deal with it on my own... You know, because I've read all about them and everything."

Ron dropped his wand, astounded.

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead by now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose, and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

Harry and Ron were making a poor show of pretending this is what had happened, but none of the teacher's noticed.

"Well – in that case..." Professor Mcgonagall said, weighing up her choices and staring at the three of them. "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

Hermione hung her head, to stop herself from failing in looking ashamed. Harry and Ron were speechless, no doubt because they never expected Hermione to lie or pretend to break the rules.

"Five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," McGonagall said sadly. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their Houses."

Hermione left.

"As for the three of you," Professor McGonagall continued, acknowledging me now. "Five points will be awarded to each of you. I still say you were lucky, but not many fist years could have teakn on a full-grown mountain troll. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."

I followed them as they hurried out of the chamber and we didn't say anything until we had gone about two floors up.

"We should have gotten more than fifteen points," Ron said disgruntedly.

"Ten, you mean," Harry said. "Once she's taken off Hermione's."

"It was good of her to get us out of trouble like that," I said, before they could say anything about me not fighting the troll with them.

"We _did_ save her," Ron said.

"She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Harry reminded him.

"Pig snout," I said, and the Fat Lady swung forward to let us through. We were met with the noise of at least a hundred students enjoying the Hallowe'en feast. Hermione met us by the door.

There were no words exchanged, but finally, the other three smiled at each other, and they all said 'Thanks'.

I grinned to myself as they went off to get plates. From this point forward, the four of us were all going to be friends. I followed them, stacking up my plate with as many biscuits in the shapes of bats that I could find.

* * *

**OMG, you have not had any of Sally for over a year! I am sooooo sorry for that.**

**My other stories just got the better of me. I was thinking about this one last night, thinking that I might restart it, but then I saw all the good advice I'd gotten from reviews, and I decided to keep it. I've been working all morning to make sure you got a new chapter, because you all deserve it.**

**So, remember to tell me what you think of this chapter, and you can do that by reviewing. Emails make me happy :)**

**I'll try and get another chapter to you soon.**

**~Gabielle xx  
**


	7. The First Quidditch Match of the Season

I now remember why mum said we could never live in Europe. It gets frightfully cold in the winter, that is, November onwards. When you wake up in the morning, the ground is covered in frost. I've only seen that happen in Australia once, about four weeks before I found myself here. The grass was literally covered in small icicles. The lake hadn't quite frozen yet, but I was sure it was only a matter of time.

When I checked my trunk, I found some winter clothes. Whoever sent me to this place at least packed for me properly. When I got dressed on the Friday before Harry's first Quidditch match, I looked out the window to find Hagrid defrosting broomsticks out in the grounds. Also when I looked in my trunk, I found a copy of _Qudditch Through the Ages_. Smiling to myself, I pulled it out and gave it to Harry at breakfast.

"Thanks, Sally," Harry said. "But I thought you didn't like Quidditch."

"I don't," I said hurriedly. "My brother got it for me for my birthday last year. I don't know why I brought it with me, but I thought you could use it."

Hopefully, this would save Harry from getting Snape angry at him. If I could keep Harry out of what was going to go on at the end of the year, I might be a very happy person. Hermione looked at me.

"I got that out of the library. I was going to let Harry borrow it."

"I didn't know I had it, sorry Hermione," I said.

* * *

After potions that day, during our afternoon break, the four of us were standing out in the courtyard. Sure, the fresh air was nice, especially after having to stay in the castle, but it was freezing cold. Luckily, Hermione had the brilliant idea of conjuring a portable fire. We were all standing with our backs to it, talking about the lesson we'd just had (in which Neville had, once again, screwed up his potion) when we noticed Snape walking across the courtyard.

The other three shuffled closer together to hide the fire. I don't know why, because there's nothing against keeping warm in the rules, but Snape noticed and came over. He looked at the four of us, wondering why on earth we would be looking so guilty.

"What's that you've got there, Potter?" he asked.

I really hated how people were called by their last names here. He was talking to Harry, of course, who showed him the book. Snape seized it.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," he snarled. "Five points from Gryffindor."

"Professor, it's my book," I said as he walked away. He didn't listen.

"He just made that rule up," Harry grumbled, noticing that Snape was limping away. "I wonder what's wrong with his leg."

"I don't know, but I hope it's really hurting him."

"Agreed," Harry said.

* * *

Hermione was checking over the boys' homework that night in the common room, and it was really noisy. Ron had got his hands on something to eat, and Harry was fidgeting around almost as much as I was. It was normal for me. Not so normal for him.

"I'm going to ask Snape for the book back," Harry announced, standing up.

"Go ahead," Hermione said.

"Rather you than me," Ron added.

Harry left. "Hold on, I'll go with you," I called out to him. "It's my book after all."

"If there's other teachers listening, maybe he won't refuse," Harry told me as we made our way down to the staffroom. Nervously, he knocked on the door. Then he knocked again. Nothing.

"Professor?" I called out, knocking again. I was about to turn away when Harry pushed the door open. I grabbed his arm.

"Blasted thing," I heard Snape mutter as I tried to get Harry to back away. "How are you supposed to keep an eye on all three heads at once? POTTER!"

I saw Harry swallow. "I was just wondering if I could have Sally's book back," he said.

"GET OUT! _OUT_!"

I pulled Harry out of the way before snape could give him a detention or something and then ran with him back upstairs.

We fell defeated in the armchairs back in the common room.

"Well?" Ron asked. "Did you get it? What's the matter?"

Harry recounted the story, neglecting to mention that I told him not to open the door. Well, I hadn't told him exactly, but I'd gestured. It's the same thing, right?

"You know what this means?" Harry finished breathlessly. Ron and Hermione looked at him cluelessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Hallowe'en! That's where he was going when we saw him – he's after whatver it's guarding. And I'd bet my broomstick _he_ let that troll in, to make a diversion!"

"He wouldn't," Hermione said, her eyes wide. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."

"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something. I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"

"I dunno guys," I said. "I'm with Hermione on this one. I think if anyone was after whatever it is, it would be Quirrell."

"Quirrell?" Harry asked. "What makes you say Quirrell?"

"Instinct," I said. "And you should know by now that my instincts are usually correct."

"You're both barmy," Ron noted. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

The two boys went to bed, although I knew Harry probably wasn't going to sleep that night. Why? Because it was in the book.

* * *

I made my way down to breakfast the next morning after everybody else did after sleeping in far later than I'd meant to. When I got the Entrance Hall, Malfoy pulled me to the side.

"Potter," he said. "Potter's not serious about actually playing today, is he?"

"Of course he is," I said. "What do you want?"

"It's just, first years aren't allowed to play normally, and he's just so small... I'd worry about him getting hurt..."

"Except?"

"Except I don't really care. How did the three of you get away from Filch that night?"

"You don't seriously think we'd be thick enough to fall for that, do you?" I asked him. "Please, I have an older brother. I knew exactly when somebody's trying to get you in trouble." I turned to walk away.

"There's something else I wanted to talk to you about. How come I've never heard of you?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, surprised.

"Well, the only Potter you ever hear about now is that prat that doesn't have any parents. Nobody in my family has ever heard of you, and I'm fairly sure you weren't on the Hogwarts Express at the beginning of the year. Any explanation?"

"No good one that I can think of," I said icily. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry, and I'm going to get something to eat."

I stalked off without waiting for an answer. When I sat down next to my supposed cousin, I heard Seamus say something about seekers getting picked on by the other team the most. I didn't say anything.

Before the game started, I checked my trunk again, wondering if I had any binoculars. Surprisingly, I did. Then I tried a little experiment. I knew I didn't have a hand-held mirror in there. So, when I looked through my trunk again, wondering if I had a mirror, it wasn't all that surprising to me when I found I had one. It seemed as though anything I needed or wanted just appeared in my trunk. What the hell was going on?

* * *

I arrived at the match just after Hagrid joined Ron and Hermione.

"Why are you so late?" Hermione asked.

"No reason," I said. "Just looking for something, lost track of time. Hey look, Harry's going for the snitch."

He had indeed just dived for the small golden ball. And then Marcus Flint blocked him. After a few minutes of yelling, Alicia Spinnet took the penalty shot, and the game was back on track.

"Send him off, ref!" Dean yelled, though there was absolutely no possibility of Madam Hooch hearing it from that far off. "Red card!"

"This isn't football, Dean," Ron said snappily. "You can't send people off in Quidditch – and what's a red card?"

"They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air."

I noticed it first. It was as Harry dodged a bludger that his broomstick lurched. Hurriedly, I pulled out my binoculars and looked through them to the teacher's stand. Quirrell was murmurring a curse under his breath already. I watched intently as Snape realised what was happening and started working on the counter-curse. By now everybody had noticed what was happening.

"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered to Hagrid.

"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking, which was never good. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic – no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."

No, but an immature, greedy teacher could.

I put the binoculars back up to my eyes and looked over at the teachers again, knowing that if something didn't happen soon, Harry could fall off and then we'd all be screwed. "Look over there?" I said to Hermione, pointing over to the teacher's stand.

"I knew it," Hermione gasped. Uh, no, you didn't. "It's Snape – look!"

Ron grabbed Hagrid's binoculars off of Hermione and looked.

"He's doing something," Hermione said. "Jinxing the broom!"

"What should we do?" Ron asked.

"Leave it to me."

With that, Hermione took off. I looked apologetically back at Ron and followed after her. I wasn't going to let her just run off and not include me in anything. I had to have been here for a reason. I caught up with her just as she walked straight past Professor Quirrell. Nothing happened. Wasn't she supposed to knock him over?

I watched as she lit Professor Snape's cloak on fire and I started freaking out. Hurriedly, I pushed Quirrell over as Snape realised he was alight. I ran back with Hermione and we got to our spot in the stand just as Harry spat the snitch out of his mouth. I smiled. No matter what Hermione would think for the rest of the year, I had just saved Harry's life.

Back in Hagrid's hut, Ron was telling Harry all about it.

"It was Snape," he said. "The three of us saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering. He wouldn't take your eyes off you!"

"Rubbish," said Hagrid, who really hadn't heard the three of us talking. I suppose that's what you get for being so much taller than everybody else. "Why would Snape do something like that?"

I could tell from his expression that he was keeping something hidden. I wasn't quite sure what it was – then again, I didn't have all the information, so I didn't know what was going on.

"I found out something about him," Harry said before I could stop him. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Hallowe'en. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

I heard china breaking. "How do you know about Fluffy?"

I put my head in my hands.

"_Fluffy?_"

"Yeah," Hagrid said gruffly, going red, "he's mine. I bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year. I lent him to Dumbldore to guard the -"

"Yes?" Harry said eagerly.

"Now don't ask me anymore. That's top secret, that is."

"But Snape's trying to _steal_ it." Ron said.

"Rubbish," Hagrid repeated. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothing of the sort."

"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" Hermione countered. I had to hand it to her, she'd probably win at a debate... If she was confident enough to get up and speak in front of people. "I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"

"I'm telin' yeh, yer wrong! I don' know why Harry's broom acted lie that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh – yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel -"

"Aha!" Harry cried triumphantly. "So there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved is there?"

"I think all three of you are being unreasonable," I said. "So Snape wasn't blinking? He could have just as easily been doing a couner-jinx or something. And maybe you should stop trying to find out what's under the trapdoor. If you're not being told, maybe it's something you don't want to know about. Come on, let's get back to the castle."

* * *

**Ahhh, so now Sally's trying to stop them going after it. I think she's being stupid, myself. What about you?**

**Anyway, so I'm on holidays for another week, and so hopefully I'll be able to get at least one more chapter in. The next one is Christmas, so I don't know exactly what I'm going to write for it yet, because Harry's the only one that's supposed to be under the Invisibility Cloak. But hey, I'll figure it out.**

**Please review :) Because they make me do that.**

**Love Gabielle xx  
**


	8. Christmas

"I do feel so sorry," Draco Malfoy's drawling sarcasm echoed across the classroom, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."

Everybody knew it was a dig at Harry. Even Professor Snape, although he didn't say anything. He didn't even take points off Malfoy. I should have expected it, I guess. If I had said it, I probably would have had five points taken. But Malfoy is Snape's pet.

"Really?" Goyle asked, surprised at Malfoy's apparent compassion. Malfoy just glared at him, almost pityingly. I went back to measuring out my poitions ingredients. Malfoy had seemed to up his attack on Harry ever since the Quidditch match where Slytherin lost and Harry almost got killed. I do remember one joke: Malfoy had been bragging about how the Gryffindor team were going to hire a wide-mouthed tree frog to replace Harry as seeker. I was probably the only person that wasn't in Slytherin that got a chuckle out of this, but when he saw it wasn't working, he went back to insulting his lack of family.

"Don't worry about him, Harry," Hermione said calmly as Ron muttered insults at Malfoy under his breath. Not another word was uttered until we left the dungeons at the end of class. The four of us were the first ones out. And we found our way blocked by Hagrid carrying a huge fir tree, obviously the last of the Christmas trees to decorate the Great Hall with.

"Hi Hagrid," Ron said cheerily. "Want some help?"

"Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."

"Would you mind moving out of the way?" Draco asked, bored. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be a gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose – that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what you're used to."

If Malfoy wanted a retaliation, which I'm fairly sure he did, that's exactly what he got. Ron dived at him, clawing at the front of his robes. I rolled my eyes. The boys were so easily aggravated – I honestly thought girls were the ones that were supposed to jump at everything. Nevertheless, I dropped my books and tried to pry Ron off of Malfoy.

"WEASLEY!" an oily voice called down the passageway. I was too late, obviously.

"He was provoked, Professor Snape," Hagrid said. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."

"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid. Five points from Gryffindor. And be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."

I picked up my books and was almost knocked over by Malfoy pushing past in his rush to get to lunch.

"I'll get him," Ron said, gritting his teeth and staring angrily after the three of them. "One of these days – I'll get him."

"I hate them both," Harry added. "Snape and Malfoy."

"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," Hagrid grinned, attempting to get them off the topic of hating people. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall. Looks a treat."

Looking slightly more cheerful, Harry and Ron started off after Hagrid, Hermione and I following behind. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were busy decorating all of the trees, an assortment of magical decorations being emitted from the ends of their wands.

"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked, jerking me out of my adoration of the hall. It really felt like Christmas here, more than it would have at home.

"Just one," Hermione smiled. She was going home for her holidays, leaving me and the boys to hang out with the Weasley's, the only other people staying at Hogwarts over the holidays. Ron's parents, and Ginny, were going to Romania to visit Charlie, and none of them particularly wanted to travel over there. Hogwarts was home enough. "Which reminds me," Hermione went on, "Harry, Ron, we've got half and hour before lunch. We should be in the library."

I wanted to strangle them for bringing it up in front of Hagrid.

"Oh yeah, you're right," Ron agreed, looking at Hermione for the first time since he'd entered the hall.

"The library?" Hagrid asked, following them. I brought up the rear, not having any particular interest in the library apart from the immense number of books that I was able to read. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"

"Oh, we're not working," Harry grinned. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel, we've been trying to find out who he is."

Mistake number two. I didn't just want to strangle them. I wanted to rip their heads off.

"You _what_?" Hagrid was a strange mixture of furious, shocked, and about to strangle something. "Listen here – I've told yeh – drop it! It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."

"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," Hermione said. I really was surprised at her. Nicolas Flamel wasn't just famous in the wizarding world – he was famous everywhere. English legends mentioned Nicolas Flamel. He was right up there with 'King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table' and 'Robin Hood and His Band of Merry Men'.

"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry suggested. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere. Just give us a hint – I know I've read his name somewhere."

"I'm sayin' nothin'," Hagrid said, as I pulled a chocolate frog card out of my pocket. It was one of Professor Dumbledore.

"Just have to find out for ourselves then," Ron said, and they left for the library, leaving Hagrid and I standing awkwardly in the Entrance Hall.

"Don't worry," I said. "They've been looking for him in books of recent times. They'll never find him."

"Sally," Hagrid said warningly.

"Hagrid, don't worry. I'm not going to tell them where to look. I think they're being stupid – they could die if they get too close."

"How do you know about it?" he asked.

"Please, Nicolas Flamel? I grew up on stories about him. The secret's safe with me."

With that I followed my friends up to the library. Having an epiphany, I wandered over to where I knew the book containing Flamel's name was. Picking it up off the shelf, I asked to take it out. The other three wouldn't suspect a thing, because it was all about wizards that had existed _before _the 20th Century. And they knew I wasn't going to be any help on the Flamel thing anyway.

"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" Hermione asked the two of them as we made our way down to lunch. I'd put the book in the dormitory after I'd finished. "And send me an owl if you find anything."

"Hey, you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," Ron said. "It'd be safe to ask them."

* * *

Christmastime. Nothing like being in a different country with no close family to make you feel lonely on Christmas day. But since classes had finished for the term, I'd started feeling more and more lonely. I couldn't write to my family because I was pretty sure I wasn't even born yet.

Although, this was my first white Christmas. There's nothing wrong with the beach-and-a-barbeque thing that my family does every year, but this totally beats it. This year was a year of new things for me. And I had to say that I was loving it. During the holidays, all we'd really done was have snowball fights and play chess. When we weren't doing that, I was working on holiday homework, and Harry and Ron were trying to find Flamel. I didn't get many presents for Christmas. I got a book and some Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans from Hermione, a book and some Chocolate Frogs from Ron, a book from Harry, and a scarf from Professor Dumbledore, with a note reading _I assume you're doing a good job. Keep it up._

When I met Harry and Ron down in the common room, the entire Weasley family, and Harry, were wearing knitted jumpers with a letter in them. Ron bounded down to me.

"Sally!" he said, grinning. "Mum made you a jumper, and some fudge. She was making all of us one, she didn't want you to feel left out." He handed me a lumpy parcel.

"That was very nice of her," I blushed. "Thank her for me, will you?"

I unwrapped it, revealing a deep purple knitted jumper and a box of fudge. "Something to go with my new scarf. They match beautifully."

"Scarf?" George Weasley asked. "Who sent you a scarf?"

"My parents," I said, pulling the jumper over my head. It was probably the warmest piece of clothing I now owned. I stared over at Harry, who was looking into the fire.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, but I knew he was lying.

"Come on, fess up. Tell me everything."

"I got something passed onto me that apparently belonged to my father. I don't know who it was. It just feels strange. I've had nothing from my parents since I was a year old and now this just comes along."

"Don't think on it too much," I said, patting him on the back as I stood up. Just then Percy Weasley came into the room, and Fred and George grabbed his jumper and forced it over his head, much to Percy's displeasure.

"Oh, sod off you two," Percy said irritably, leaving the common room before the twins could follow him. This was turning out to be a very good Christmas.

* * *

After Christmas dinner, celebrated at lunch time, the six of us went out to the grounds and had a snowball fight. I managed to worm my way onto Fred and George's team, leaving Harry and Ron with Percy. We won, of course. Percy was being a spoil-sport and Fred and George are two of the funniest people I've ever met.

Cold and wet, we ended up in front of the Gryffindor fire, watching Harry and Ron play Wizard's Chess. Fred and George were sitting with their heads together, whispering, and Percy was helping Harry with his chess game. More like helping him lose, but whatever. I was reading the book I was currently on. Next year, I would have to bring a lot more books... If I had a choice, that is.

I didn't eat much at dinner, mostly because I wanted to be able to follow Harry around tonight without anybody noticing me. I needed to be not too full that I was tired and make stupid mistakes, but full enough that I could think straight. Thankfully, I was the only girl in Gryffindor Tower. I crept down to the common room to wait for the portrait hole to open, and followed Harry after he exited. I followed him all the way to the Restricted Section. Surely he would figure it out by now – he wouldn't be able to find Flamel anywhere. But boys will be boys. I waited patiently in the normal section of the library until I heard a scream come from where Harry was. That was my cue.

I waited for Filch to run by before running after Harry. He had no idea where he was going, and it showed, because when we got to a suit of armour, he looked around him, wondering where he was. I found a tapestry and ducked behind it, Harry whipping around at the sound. I'd almost been found out.

There were footsteps down the hall. "You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library – Restricted Section."

"The Restricted Section?" Snape replied. "Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them."

I tried my very hardest not to breathe as they came around the corner. I really did not want to be pinned on going into the Restricted Section of the library. Thankfully, they walked straight past. When their footsteps disappeared, I came out from behind the tapestry and down to the open door that Harry had walked through. I saw him standing in front of the Mirror of Erised. I smiled a little to myself. I hid in one of the darker corners, where I knew he wouldn't see me, but where I could also see everything that was going on. Then I had an idea and read the inscription backwards.

When I was younger and had read the books, I had always thought that it was in a weird foreign language that I had no hope of understanding. Now I knew better. _Ishow no tyo urfac ebu tyo urhe arts desirE. _Better translated as: I show not your face but your hearts desire. Of course.

He stood there for a whole hour before tearing himself away. "I'll come back," he whispered and ran out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Professor?" I asked. "You're here, aren't you?"

"Sally," Professor Dumbledore said jovially. "How did you know?"

I didn't say anything.

"Merry Christmas," he said, starting to leave the room.

"Professor," I said, holding out my arm to stop him. "Harry comes here two more nights. On the third night, you need to tell him all about the mirror and what it does."

"Why not tomorrow?"

"He's coming with Ron tomorrow. After you tell Harry about it, you need to move it."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Harry needs to know what the mirror does," I said. "I can't tell you any more than that."

"Very well," Professor Dumbledore smiled. "Go to bed, Miss Potter."

* * *

**Fanficcers!**

**Sooo, it's my birthday on Saturday, and I was hoping I would be able to write a chapter and get it up for you then, but that seems unlikely considering that my grandparents are coming over in the morning, and then I'm going bowling in the afternoon. Yay!**

**But I'll have a new chapter for you soon, I promise.**

**Please review, you know you want to. I think I'm going to make sequels for every single book: I had a dream last night where Sally and Malfoy were talking after he woke up after being hit with the Sectumsempra curse. It was a pretty good scene, but I forgot to write it down :S**

**Anyways, I'd better go. **

**Love muchly, Gabielle xx  
**


	9. Finding Flamel

Hermione's initial dissapointment that Harry and Ron hadn't found anything of Flamel during the Christmas break only fueled her search. She almost neglected her homework to look for any mention of him. Almost, being the key word there. Just in time she would remember and spew out five feet of information on some obscure potions ingredient in less than an hour.

One evening, I was doing my Transfiguration homework in the common room while Ron and Hermione played a game of chess, when Harry came and sat down by the fire. He'd just had Quidditch training, I remembered.

"Don't talk to me for a moment," Ron said, not looking at him. "I need to concen -" He broke off mid sentence when he caught the look on Harry's face. "What's the matter with you? You look terrible."

"Snape's refereeing the next Quidditch match," Harry whispered so that nobody else would hear.

Ron and Hermione paused for a minute. "Don't play," Hermione said.

"Say you're ill," Ron said. It would have been funny if the three of them weren't so scared about it.

"Pretend to break your leg?"

"_Really_ break your leg."

"I can't," Harry groaned. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."

"I think you're all being stupid," I said, speaking for the first time as I'd just finished my homework. "Professor Snape isn't a bad guy at all. In fact, I think it's a good thing he's ref this game. If he did curse you like you say he did, then he'd need to keep an eye on you at all times, and he'd need his concentration. If he's reffing, then he has to keep his eye on the game, and he won't have a chance to do any funny stuff... Not that I think he's the one that's doing it anyway."

Harry opened his mouth to reply when Neville hopped through the portrait hole, his legs stuck together with the Leg-Locker Curse. Everybody except Hermione and I laughed. Hermione walked over to him and performed the counter curse and Neville got to his feet, testing to make sure his legs wouldn't give out.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, bringing him over to the group.

"Malfoy," Neville said, shaking. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for somebody to practise that on."

"You should go to Professor McGonagall," Hermione said. "You should report him."

"I don't want more trouble, though," Neville replied, shaking his head.

"You've got to stand up to him, Neville," Ron said. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."

"You don't have to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor," Neville said, close to tears. "Malfoy's already done that."

"I think you're brave," I smiled.

Harry pulled a chocolate frog out of his pocket, the last one he had from Hermione. "You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Harry said. "The Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin!"

Neville smiled and took the frog that Harry handed him. "Thanks, Harry. I think I'll go to bed. Do you want the card? You collect them, don't you?"

Harry took the card and I groaned. There would be no hiding it now. Silently, I packed up my things and wandered up to my dormitory. Once I'd but all my homework on my bedside table, I grabbed the book that I got out of the library that day long ago. I walked back down and flicked to the page, because the other three were wondering where they could find his name now.

Hermione gasped after she read it. "Harry, Ron, listen to this: 'Nicolas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone'."

She looked at them expectantly, grinning.

"The what?" they asked.

"Honestly, don't you two read?" she asked. "I grew up in a muggle household, and I know what the Philosopher's Stone is." She pushed the book towards them. "Read."

"See?" she asked, once they'd finished. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone. I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it. That's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts."

"A stone that turns metal into gold and stops you ever dying? No wonder Snape wants it," Harry said. "Anybody would want it."

"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that _Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry_," Ron said, hitting his forehead. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixtry-five, is he?"

"Older," I said. "This book's pretty old."

"How did you know he was in there, Sally?" Harry asked.

"Because I read the thing," I said. "Besides, I knew all along he was in there. You three just didn't ask."

* * *

I went down to the Quidditch pitch seperately from Hermione and Ron the day of the Quidditch match. I didn't fancy going down with them. They had all planned to hex Snape if anything funny happened during the game. Instead, I went straight up to the stands, saving a seat for my friends. Well, I forgot that Malfoy would just happen to be behind us.

"Potter," Malfoy said. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Well, it is a Quidditch match, and my cousin is playing," I said. "More interesting is why you're here."

"I want to see Potter fall off his broom," Malfoy shrugged.

"He's not going to fall off," I said.

"Where are your friends, Potter?" Crabbe asked.

"They're wishing Harry luck," I said, and something in my voice hinted to Malfoy that we weren't agreeing with each other at the moment. It was true. After I had shown them Flamel, they got angry at me for not telling them that I knew he was in the book. We hadn't spoken about it too much, and they generally avoided talking to me about their theories, because they were always wrong and I had something to say about them.

"Having a tiff with them, are you?" he asked. "Finally, seeing what makes a real witch or wizard."

I spun around so fast that he jumped. "You insult my friends ever again, Malfoy, and I will make sure you regret it, understand?"

"Yes!" he shouted. I noticed that I'd grabbed a handful of his robes and pulled him closer to me. I must have been pretty scary, because I'd meant it, and I knew spells that even Hermione didn't. "Let go of me."

I released his robes and turned around as Ron, Hermione and Neville sat on the bench next to me, just as Professor Snape released the Quaffle.

"I've never seen Snape look so mean," Ron said to Hermione. "Look – they're off. Ouch!"

"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there," came Malfoy's drawl. "Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"

"He didn't fall off his broom last time, Malfoy," I said, sensing that he was already going to get me angry at him. Ron didn't answer him, thankfully, because George had just hit a bludger towards Professor Snape and Hufflepuff had been awarded a penalty.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team? It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money – you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."

Neville turned in his seat as he went bright red. "I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered. I was stunned. I was of the belief that Neville didn't have it in him to stand up to Malfoy, ever. The three Slytherins doubled over in laughter, while Hermione and Ron kept their eyes on the game. I shot him a glare.

"Longbottom, if brains were gold, you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."

"Malfoy," I said warningly.

"Ron!" Hermione said. "Look at Harry!"

"What? Where?"

Harry had gone into a nose dive, having spotted something near the ground.

"Ah, you're in luck, Weasley. Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground."

Ron punched him in the nose so quickly it was like he had disapparated. Hermione kept her eyes on the game, obviously failing to notice that Ron and Malfoy had gotten into a fist fight. Neville climbed over his seat to join in. Right after I kicked myself, I climbed over and tried pulling them apart.

The stands erupted in cheers, and Ron got up to see what had happened. I shook my head at Malfoy – he had already forgotten my warning. And then he smirked at me.

Severely angling towards punching Malfoy in the face myself, I looked at Ron's injuries and healed what I could, then wandered where Neville had got to.

As I turned around to find him lying on the floor, unconscious, Crabbe and Goyle started laughing. Surprisingly, Malfoy didn't join in. I picked Neville up off the ground and Ron helped me take him up to the hospital wing.

"Explain," Madam Pomfrey said curtly. Ron launched into an explanation of how Neville had ended up unconscious and why he had cuts and bruises all over him. I stuck to the shadows, not wanting to be a part of any of it. We got back to the common room just in time for Harry to tell us all about his encounter with Quirrell and Snape in the Forbidden Forest.

"So you mean that the Stone is only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"It'll be gone by next Tuesday."

Normally, what Ron had said would have had me laughing. But it was just so serious, and they still didn't believe me that maybe Snape was the good guy in all of this. It was still at least three months until the trapdoor anyway. Maybe I still had time to change their minds.

* * *

**Hey everybody.  
Norbert comes in soon, so I'm really looking forward to that. And the scene in the forest :) I'm so happy.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the latest chapters, now that I've found a new found love for this story.  
I stayed up until 4.00 on Friday night watching AVPS, which if you haven't heard of, you probably should have. I'll be only too happy to refer any of you to it, or the first one, AVPM, so just ask if you're interested. They're parody musicals.  
Anyway, as a result, I'm really tired, and I'm pretty sure my eyes are about to fall out. Yay?**

**Review and I will reply (that may not be an incentive to anybody, but hey)... Reviews make me happy.**

**Love, gabielle.  
**


	10. How to Lose a Dragon in Ten Days

Normally, I would go to the library with Harry, Ron and Hermione to study on an afternoon like this, but I really didn't feel like it today. It was the date: it was my mother's birthday. I usually gave her an extravagant card and a giant box of chocolates that I would buy out of my pocket money. Even though I couldn't send her a present, I still felt bad. Bad for missing it, I guess. I didn't tell them this though. I said I was going to study in my dormitory, which would be empty.

I wasn't studying. I was thinking through things. It was late April by now, which meant that there was only about two and half months left of term. Exams were coming closer, but that wasn't really what I was worried about. The sooner exams came, the sooner the end of exams came, which meant the sooner it was that Harry went down the trapdoor. He could lose his life if he wasn't prepard properly.

Hermione came into the dorm as I drifted off to sleep. "Sally!" she shouted. "You're not studying!"

"I'm just taking a little break, I swear," I yawned. "What's up?"

"We're going to go visit Hagrid. Are you coming?"

"Yeah, of course," I smiled, grabbing my wand. "Let's go."

I looked out the window. It was almost evening. On the way down to Hagrid's, Ron explained the situation to me. He was the one that always told me what was going on. He recounted what had happened in the library, to the disapproval of Hermione.

It wasn't any surprise to me, or Ron, that the curtains in Hagrid's hut were shut, and there was a roaring fire in the grate. After politely refusing stoat sandwiches and tea, Hagrid asked us what we wanted to ask him.

"Yes," Harry said quickly. It sounded like he meant business. "We were wondering if you could tell us what was guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy."

Hagrid furrowed his brow. "O' course I can't. Number one, I don't know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn't tell yeh if I could. That's Stone's here for a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts – I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know about Fluffy."

Harry can be far too blunt sometimes. Now Hermione – she's the one that's good at getting information.

"Oh, come on, Hagrid," she said flatteringly. "You might not want to tell us, but you _do_ know, you know everything that goes on around here." He smiled, but tried to make it look like he wasn't.

"We only wondered who had done the guarding, really," I continued. "We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you."

"Well, I don't s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that... let's see... he borrowed Fluffy from me... then some o' the teachers did enchantments... Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, Professor Quirrell... and Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hand on, I've forgotten someone..."

"Professor Snape?" I suggested, realising that he was the only major Professor that he hadn't mentioned.

"Yeah!" Hagrid said.

"_Snape_?" Harry asked, astounded.

"Yeah – yer not still on abou' that are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the stone. He's not about ter steal it."

Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at each other, exchanging the look that said that they still thought Snape was the bad guy in all of this.

"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, right Hagrid?" Harry asked apprehensively. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore."

"Well, that's something." There was an air of mingled approval and sarcasm in Harry's voice. "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling."

"Can't, Harry, sorry," Hagrid muttered, and glanced at the fire.

"Hagrid?" Harry said. "What's _that_?"

But the four of us already knew what it was. After the conversation in the library, it wasn't too hard for them to figure out why Hagrid was acting so shifty, and why he was putting up with such heat in his cabin.

"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" Ron asked, crouching down to the fire to admire it. "It must have cost you a fortune!"

"Won it," Hagrid said, sounding surprised. "Las' night. I was down the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game of cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."

"But what are you going to do when it's hatched?" Hermione asked. Always the rational one.

"Well, I've bin doin' some readin'," Hagrid grinned. I didn't actually think he could read, but hey. "Got this outta the library – _Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit_ – it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mother breathe on 'em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket of brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here – how ter recognise diff'rent eggs – what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them."

"Hagrid, you live in a _wooden_ house," Hermione pointed out. She had a fair point, but Hagrid didn't hear her. He was humming to the fire.

One week later, Harry was bought a note from Hagrid during the breakfast mail. _It's hatching_.

"Let's go," Ron said, as soon as he saw the note.

"No!" Hermione said, aghast.

"Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?" Ron whispered back.

"We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing -"

"Shut up!" Harry hissed at them. Malfoy was standing behind them as they argued coming out of the hall. They had no idea how much he'd head. I suspect he'd heard everything from 'dragon atching', which was why he was listening in the first place.

They didn't stop arguing all the way down to Herbology, and finally, just before I decided to shoot one of them, Hermione agreed to go see Hagrid during morning break. The other three dropped their trowels as soon as the bell went and ran down to Hagrid's hut.

"You'd want to put those trowels away, Miss Potter," Professor Sprout said to me. I nodded as I saw the others disappear through Hagrid's door. I set to work cleaning up after them, suspecting that over my next six years at Hogwarts, this would be much of what I would be doing. As I put the tools back in their proper storage places, Malfoy came up to me.

"Is it true that that miserable oaf has a dragon?"

I paused, and wondered whether I should tell him the truth. He did need to know about it, and he did need to see it. Should I be the one to tell him?

"I'm going to assume that's a yes, Potter?" he asked.

"If you get Hagrid into trouble, you will regret it, understand, Malfoy?" I absolutely hated getting called by my last name. It was something the teacher's at my regular, non-magical school did too.

He smirked at me before he went rushing off down to Hagrid's hut. Worried, I ran after him, making sure that I had actually put everything away in it's proper place. He was peering in the window when I got down there.

"You're being stupid," I said to him. "Isn't it good enough to know that he's got a dragon without seeing it?"

"How many times in your life do you see a dragon, Potter? Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Get out of here. If they find out you've seen it, they won't be happy."

"And I'm _soo_ scared of them," he smirked, and looked back in through the window. Suddenly, his face went pale, and then he ran up to the school. Hagrid had spotted him. Quickly, before he got to the window, I ducked between two of them, and then crouched down and crawled around the hut.

The front door opened, and Harry said one word. "Malfoy."

Malfoy was unusually smiley during the next week, and it was disconcerting. The other three spent almost all their free time trying to convince Hagrid to give up the dragon. He was neglecting his duties to the school, and his house stank of brandy.

Finally, a week after the hatching, I went down with them. Hagrid introduced me to Norbert, and then set about serenading it.

"He's lost his marbles," Ron whispered to me, knowing I was probably the only one mature enough not to smirk and giggle.

"Hagrid," Harry said, "give it a fortnight and Norbert's going to be as big as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment."

"He won't," I said. "He's not that stupid."

"I – I know I can't keep him for ever," Hagrid said, while everybody ignored me, as usual. "But I can't jus' dump him, I can't."

I looked up from the book I was reading, which Norbert had just tried sending flames at (unsuccessfully. There was just a puff of smoke around me.)

Although it had grown to three times its original size in the past week, it still looked remarkably small for a dragon. And it looked incredibly slimy, but that could be because of brandy and chicken blood mix that Hagrid had just fed it, which it had poured all over itself and it's new bed.

"Charlie," I said, absently.

"You're losing it too," Ron said. "I'm Ron, remember?"

I shook my head. "No, your brother Charlie, in Romania, yeah? Doesn't he work with dragons? We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him, and then release him back into the wild, like they do with disadvantaged animals at muggle zoos."

"Brilliant!" Ron beamed. "How about it, Hagrid?"

Eventually, Hagrid agreed to let us ask him. Ron set to work writing the letter straight away, and it was sent with Hedwig by lunch time.

We got a reply the following Wednesday night. I was sitting with Harry and Hermione, doing nothing, as usual, when the clock stuck midnight. The portrait hole swung open, and Ron pulled off the invisibility cloak. "The dratted thing bit me!" he fumed, holding out his hand, wrapped in a handkerchief. While he told us the story of how it happened, I unfurled the makeshift bandage and looked at it. It was already swollen to twice its size, and was an unsightly green colour.

"You should get that checked out by Madam Pomfrey," I said to him, as Harry and Hermione rushed to the window to let the newly arrived Hedwig in.

"Charlie's answer!" Harry announced, and we read it.

"Midnight on Saturday," I said. "The cloak should be big enough to cover... three of us and the thing in a crate."

The other three nodded. They just wanted to get rid of it.

The next afternoon, Ron went to Madam Pomfrey, hoping that she wouldn't recognise a dragon bite. Chances are she probably would, but she wouldn't tell anyone about it. It was during Potions that Malfoy found out about it. Due to the fact that Ron wasn't there, Professor Snape reshuffled the partners, and put me with Slytherin that the trio probably hated the most.

"Where's Ginger today?" Draco asked under his breath. I don't know why. We were working over the other side of the classroom from Harry and Hermione.

"Hospital wing," I replied, stirring the potion we were making.

"Why?"

It took all my strength not to pause and think about this one.

"The dragon bit him," I whispered. "Poisonous."

"Ah," he smirked. "Poor Weasley, huh?"

I ignored him for the rest of the lesson, but I assume Draco went to visit him during our afternoon break, because when the rest of us went to visit him at the end of the day, he said that Malfoy had borrowed one of his books.

"It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday," Hermione said calmly. Her intent was to make Ron feel better, but he broke into a sweat, and sat straight up.

"Midnight on Saturday!" he said. "Oh no! I've just remembered – Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took. He's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert!"

Madam Pomfrey came over to shoo us out before we could answer.

"Too late to change the plan now," I told Harry and Hermione as we walked back to the Common Room. "We haven't got time to send another owl, and this is our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. Can you two tell Hagrid? I don't think I want to go down there."

When we arrived at eleven thirty on Saturday night, Hagrid was almost in tears. Harry and Hermione were worrying about what they were about to do. I was worried that Norbert was going to give us away.

"He's got lots o' rats an' some brandy fer the journey," he sobbed. "A' I've packed his teddy bear, in case he gets lonely."

A tearing sound from the inside of the crate sounded slightly like Teddy being ripped to shreds. I wasn't going to be the one to mention it to Hagrid though.

As Hagrid said goodbyes to Norbert, the three of us worked out how to carry him, and stepped under the cloak. Laboriously, we carried him up to the castle, up to the tallest tower. It wasn't easy. I would have used a charm, but that was third year stuff. We weren't supposed to know that, and if Hermione hadn't thought of it, I wasn't going to mention it to her.

Just as we got to the corridor leading up to the tower, a lamp came into view, and Harry and Hermione shrank back into the shadows, forgetting that we couldn't be seen.

It's strange seeing teachers in their pyjamas. Professor McGonagall was in a tartan dressing gown and was wearing a hairnet, and was dragging Draco by the ear.

"Detention!" she shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin. Wandering around in the middle of the night, how _dare_ you -"

"You don't understand, Professor. Harry Potter's coming – he's got a dragon!"

"What utter nonsense! How dare you tell such lies? Come on – I shal see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!"

As soon as they were out of sight, we headed up the spiral staircase to the tower. As soon as we were out in the open air, Hermione threw off the cloak and started doing a little happy dance. "Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!"

"Please don't," I muttered, sitting down between two turrets. Norbert thrashed around in his crate.

Surprisingly, for the next ten minutes while we waited, we didn't talk. It was nice just to be out in the open night air. When Charlie's friends arrived, we gladly helped them strap Norbert into their special harness. We thanked them, waved them goodbye, and watched as Norbert disappeared into the night air. Finally, they thought their problems with Norbert were over.

"I think I'll stay up here for a little while longer," I told them. "I'll be fine, I swear."

They nodded, and then left down the staircase again. Lying down for a minute, I remembered what happened when they got down to the bottom. Alarmed, I looked around me and saw the cloak lying abandoned on the ground. Then Filch's slimy voice echoed up the staricase.

I threw the cloak on and ran down as silently as I could. I was too late to save them from detention and social ostracism. Gloomily, I made my way back to Gryffindor tower and up to bed. I folded the cloak up and put it at the bottom of my trunk. I'd give it back to Harry later.

* * *

**Hey guys, hows it going?**

**So, I thought I'd better do as much writing as I can before the horrible period starts. I have four weeks left of my last year of high school, then I have a performance exam, auditions for uni, a week of school exams, three days of revision at school (ugh), graduation, then i have one week off, and then i have my important exams for uni entrance. All of that over ten weeks! i'm so annoyed about it, i even stopped using proper punctuation and grammar towards the end of this paragraph.**

**Anyway, I'm planning to finish writing the first book by the end of this week, and start the second book, so I can update more quicklier, and I don't actually have to write before I put the chapters up. I think this might be my favourite chapter so far, because I finally figured out what I want to happen in later moments in time, so I know how to write these chapters better. **

**Please read and review. Oh, and for those of you who are into it, I've put in an AVPM reference somewhere in this chapter. Find it, and tell me that you've found it, and you have my utmost respect. **

**Love always, gabi xx  
**


	11. Who Are You, Sally Potter?

It was a very long time before Harry spoke to me again. Hermione was slightly more forgiving, but she wasn't talking to anybody much at all, so it was hard to tell. The morning after we got rid of the dragon, Gryffindors all over Hogwarts were talking about how 'the famous kid' and two of his dorky friends had lost a total of 150 points for their house.

Having the silent treatment administered to me by Harry wasn't actually as bad as I thought it would be. He's got this thing forming where he thinks that any wrong that's done by him is done on purpose. I did mention to him that I wasn't the one that left the cloak at the top of the tower, but he didn't reply. In fact, Harry didn't talk to many people, and many people didn't speak to Harry. Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's turned their heads away from him in shame. Slytherin's laughed and thanked him for increasing their chances at the house cup. Harry offered to resign from the house Quidditch team, but Wood wouldn't hear of it.

In fact, the only people I could have a normal conversation with at that time were Ron and Malfoy, an odd mix in any situation. Of course, most of what we did talk about were exams, as they were coming up soon, and Ron wasn't studying. I wasn't either, but I've always been told that I have an exceptional memory. I usually just read over my most important notes the day before. I've never failed a test.

It was a week before exams when Harry overheard a conversation between Professor Quirrell, and a mystery person who he believed was Professor Snape. Of course, he came and mentioned it to the three of us immediately, and put up a very good argument about why he wasn't going to meddle in things from now on. Hermione was convinced. Ron was not, but he was prevented from arguing his point by Harry pulling his astronomy chart towards him and started muttering the names of Jupiter's moons to himself.

The morning after that, notes arrived for Harry, Hermione and Neville, informing them of their detention that night. Neither Harry nor Hermione complained, both feeling that they deserved what they got. I felt I deserved it as well, so as soon as breakfast was over, I detatched myself from the others and headed up to Professor Dumbledore's office.

"What can I do for you, Miss Potter?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well, Professor, I was wondering if you'd be able to give me a detention."

"Why on earth would I do that?" Confusion, of course.

"I assume Professor McGonagall has informed you of Harry, Hermione and Neville receiving a detention for tonight?" The old man nodded. "Well, the thing is, I was there as well, but I wasn't caught, and I think that I deserve a detention for not owning up to it in the first place."

"You are quite a strange one, Miss Potter, requesting a detention when most others would be trying to get out of it."

"I'm a very honest person," I said bitterly.

"Very well, Sally. You have detention. Are you happy now?"

"Extremely," I said. "Thank you."

"You're dismissed," he said, waving his hand. I smiled slightly to myself as I left the office. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect myself to be getting a detention, let alone _requesting_ one.

So, at eleven that night, I met with Harry, Hermione, Neville and Malfoy in the entrance hall, ready to trek down to the forbidden forest for our detention. Harry and Hermione were slightly surprised that I was here, but they didn't say anything to me. I neglected to listen to Filch's monologue about the old punishments, deciding that staring up at the stars was much more interesting.

"Is that you Filch?" Hagrid's voice boomed. "Hurry up, I want ter get started."

Harry visibly brightened at the sound of Hagrid's voice. Filch turned to him and barked, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy – it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."

Malfoy paused where he was, subsequently causing me to walk into him with an 'oof'. He didn't apologise, not that I really expected him to. "The forest?" he asked, his voice shaking. This gave me a sense of pride, something to hang over him later on. "We can't go in there at night – there's all sorts of things in there – werewolves I heard!"

I managed to suppress a snigger at this. I'd correct him later.

"That's your lookout, isn't it?" Filch grinned, and normally I'd be taking glee in Malfoy's fear, but Filch was a maniac, and he was smiling. And that couldn't mean anything good. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

Hagrid walked towards us at this point, a large crossbow slung over his shoulder. A large quiver of arrows was hanging over his other. "Abou' time," he said to Filch. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione?"

"Ah, I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," Filch smiled, showing his horrible teeth. "They're here to be punished, after all."

"That's why yer late, is it? Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit I'll take over from 'ere."

"I'll be back at dawn, for what's left of them," he grinned, then headed off back towards the castle.

Malfoy turned to Hagrid as soon as Filch was back in the castle. "I'm not going into that forest."

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," Hagrid reasoned, frustration bubbling up inside him. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be writing lines or something. If my father knew I was doing this he'd -"

" - tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," growled the half-giant. "Writin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!"

Malfoy looked as though he was considering it, before I nudged him. "Man up, Malfoy," I challenged. He stayed where he was.

"Right then," Hagrid smiled. "Now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."

We followed Hagrid to the edge of the forest, where he explained to us our task: find the unicorn that was injured and/or dead, and tell Hagrid where it is. A simple task, just time-consuming. Hagrid then split us into two groups. He put Harry and Hermione with himself, while I was put with Malfoy, Neville and Fang. Then we went through the sparks system – red for danger, green for unicorn.

A little way into the forest, my group took the path to the right, where we were seperated from the others. After a few minutes of walking this new path, I sighed. Believe it or not, I was actually happy.

"What are you so happy about?" Malfoy asked.

"Oh nothing," I replied. "Just thinking about what would happen if a werewolf were to attack you tonight."

He paled, and paused in his tracks.

"Relax, Malfoy, there can't be werewolves in the forest. You're forgetting that werewolves are actually humans for about twenty-six days of the month. They live, breathe and eat, just like we do. Only on the full moon nights do they turn into a rabid beast with no way of knowing what they're doing. So, saying werewolves lived in the forest would actually mean that humans are running around killing and maiming animals for food when there's a tonne of food in the castle every night."

"You're almost as bad as that Granger girl," he told me. I noticed that he used the word 'almost'. We started walking again, and I of course wasn't paying attention to anything that was happening until Neville screamed. I spun around, thinking that something was wrong. But, it was only Malfoy laughing himself to stitches, and Neville shaking with fury and fear. Sighing, I sent up red sparks with my wand, and waited for the others to come.

Hagrid arrived a few minutes later, and dragged Malfoy, Neville and I back to the others, were a reshuffle of groups occurred. Well, really, it was just switching Harry for Neville. Then we headed back to where we were and continued walking.

It didn't take long for us to find the unicorn, lying dead on a fallen tree branch. Harry put his arm out to stop us, and told us to look. After examining it from a distance, the silvery blood glittering in the moonlight, we took a step towards it.

A hooded figure crawled, almost as if it were gliding, across the clearing in front of us. I knew what was coming next, and I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to see it. The hooded figure bent down in front of the unicorn and a horrible sucking sound started emanating from it. Malfoy figured out what it was first, and let out a blood-curdling scream before running off. I shot an apologetic look at Harry and then ran off after Malfoy, knowing that he was probably mortified. And then I remembered and sent up green sparks.

I found Draco at the edge of the forest, out of breath, red faced, and glad to be alive.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"I'm fine, Potter," he spat. "You didn't seem to be as scared or surprised as I expected you to be."

"Yeah, I knew it was coming," I shrugged.

"How could you possibly know that?" he asked, suspicious, and I realised my mistake. "Who are you, Sally Potter?"

I didn't answer either of his questions, instead letting some sparks up to let Hagrid know where we were and that we were safe.

When Hagrid found us, he sent us back up to the castle, and I didn't say a word to Harry, Hermione or Neville as we headed back up to Gryffindor tower. I went straight up to the dormitory and retrieved a certain cloak from my trunk. I was certain I'd be able to return it to Harry's bed without him realising what I was doing.

Hermione asked me if I was awake when she came back in, but I didn't answer her. She went over to her bed, but I knew she was doing the exact same thing that I was doing: lying awake, trying not to sleep.

* * *

**Dear Readers,**

**I'm so sorry I made you wait ages for this chapter, but I hope it was worth it. I'm done with school and other hectic things on Nov. 9, so I'll be updating a lot more frequently from that point forward.  
Recently, I've been focusing on later chapters for this fic. Like, chapters from later books. I've wrote this beautiful chapter about Sally's family, but it's not until the fourth book, so that may take a while.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, and reviews are also appreciated.**

**Now, I'm off to do something important, ie, finish off my English assignment that was due in three weeks ago.**

**Sincerely, gabiellexx  
**


	12. It's a Trapdoor!

Exam time. Despite what the name suggests, it's just an hour long test, as well as practical component. I guess that's suitable. Anybody can know about how to make a pineapple tap dance across a desk, but that doesn't mean they can. I'm used to hour long tests, I do – did – them all the time at my old school.

Now, end of exams: that it what is commonly referred to by my brother as 'freedom'. There is a sense of freedom about it, I guess. No more studying, no more practising how to turn a mouse into a snuffbox (I actually tried using Scabbers for this, figuring a rat was close enough... turns out either a) it's not or b) an animagus in it's rat form doesn't count as a rat – am I bringing that in too early? Sorry.), no more staying up to all hours of the morning doing spells. Oh wait, scrap that last point, we're going through the trapdoor tonight.

Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself here. We just got released from the torture that is the History of Magic exam. I've always wondered how Binns would mark it though, being a ghost he wouldn't be able to pick up the exam papers, or a quill to mark it with. Getting off track again, sorry. Either way, the four of us were lounging under a tree by the lake. Hermione was trying to go through our exam papers with us, like she had with the other ones from the past week. Harry was complaining about his scar hurting. Ron was rolling his eyes at the both of them, and I was reading under a tree.

Because I was so engrossed in my novel – a book about a young girl who'd grown up during the Wizarding War – I didn't notice the other three getting up and going over to Hagrid's hut. In fact, I only looked up when I was interrupted by an.. unsavoury presence in my day.

"Exams are over, Potter," he said coolly. "Why are you reading?"

_Drat_, I thought. _I'd been trying to avoid him!_

"Some people find reading enjoyable," I replied, marking my page and looking around. "Where are the others?"

"I don't know," he replied. "I saw them go up to the castle about half an hour ago. You're been avoiding me."

"As people try to do when they don't like somebody," I said, shoving my book into my bag and heading back up to the castle. "Why are you following me?"

"I wanted to talk to you," he said.

I paused. "You hate me," I reminded him, turning around and staring at him.

"I don't hate you," he replied, shyly and entirely too quickly. "I hate your friends, but I don't hate you."

"And why would that be, Malfoy?" I was in a rush, and I didn't have time for this.

"I don't know!" he complained.

"Whatever, what did you want to talk to me about? Because I'm in a rush, and I don't have time for this."

"Did you think that maybe if your 'friends' left you under a tree, maybe they don't actually want to talk to you?" he asked, smirking. I raised my eyebrow at him and he surrendered his question. "You said... after we got out of the forest, you said that you knew it was coming, whatever it was."

"Mmm," I said, a noncommittal contribution to the conversation.

"How on earth could you have known about it?"

"I'm... psychic," I answered, hoping this would get him off my back. As expected, it didn't. All he did was ask questions about 'what was he thinking' and 'what was his future'. All the way up to the Gryffindor Common Room. When we reached there, I glared at him. "You do realise that you're not allowed in here," I spat. It was definitely not a question, more a statement of where he was.

Jumping out of his stupid questioning, he looked around at our surroundings, and then at the Fat Lady, then at me. "This conversation isn't over, Potter," he said, turning around and disappearing around the corner.

Rolling my eyes, I stated the password, and then jumped in through the portrait hole.

"Where have you been?" Ron asked me. Without waiting for my reply, he continued with, "Tell your cousin that's he's bonkers!"

I tried my best to look confused. "Why?"

"He's planning on going through that trapdoor," Hermione supplied. "Tonight."

"Harry, that's ridiculous. Nothing will happen to the stone while Dumbledore's headmaster."

"Dumbledore isn't here," Harry said. "He got an owl from the Ministry of Magic, and left right away. Snape's going down the trapdoor tonight, and the world will be over."

I rolled my eyes. "Harry, you've got to snap out of this thing you've got where everything bad is going to happen. I'm absolutely positive that if somebody goes down there tonight, they will not be able get the stone. You trust Dumbledore, don't you?"

"Yeah," Ron said.

"I wasn't asking you."

"I trust Dumbledore, but everybody makes mistakes," Harry said. "Voldemort killed my parents, and if he's working with Snape, then they'll be a match for Dumbledore, and you know it."

"No, I don't know it," I said. "With something as important as this, Dumbledore wouldn't look anything over. It may not even be here! Voldemort may just think it's here as a diversion!"

"She has a point, Harry," Ron shrugged. "Dumbledore is pretty brainy."

"I'm not taking any chances. I'm going down that trapdoor tonight. I'll use the invisibility cloak, now that I've got it back."

"Will it cover the four of us?" Hermione asked.

"The – all four of us?" Harry asked, confused.

"Even if your idea is nuts," I said, "we're not going to let you go alone. And you never know, you might need all the help you can get."

"If we get caught, the three of you will probably expelled too."

"Not if I can help it," Hermione replied grimly. "Flitwick told me, in secret, that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."

I turned to Ron. "How do you get a hundred and twelve percent on an exam?"

He replied with a bemused shrug, while Hermione and Harry glared at me.

* * *

I was known amongst the Gryffindor first years for going to bed early when I didn't have anything to do, instead of staying up late and socialising. Tonight, though, this had more to do with the fact that I was putting myself in a life-threatening situation. I was going to read up on it in my very own copy of _'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'_ and making sure I had everything I would need. I was contemplating bringing a torch, but then I remembered that they don't work in the castle.

So, when everybody else came up to bed, I pretended to be sound asleep. After I heard everybody snoring, I went back down to the common room with my book, and sat in the armchair by the fire. Harry and Ron were successfully hiding from everybody's view in the back corner of the room.

"Sally, Hermione!" Fred called, yawning as he got up to go to bed. "What are you doing down here? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Couldn't sleep," I replied, not lifting up my head.

"And reading's going to help you do that," George laughed. "Come on guys, let's leave them to it."

"Night guys," I said to the twins and Lee Jordan. As soon as they were gone, Harry came out and dashed upstairs to get the cloak, while Ron exited from the shadows to complain, and Hermione sat in another armchair, going over her notes.

"Sally, if he gets us killed, I'll kill him."

"I'll join in," I replied sleepily, yawning.

"If you're tired, you can go back to bed," Ron suggested.

"No way," I laughed. "I'm your best bet at getting through whatever's under the trapdoor alive... Don't tell anybody else I said that, though."

Harry's footsteps echoed on the steps and he held out the invisibility cloak. "We'd better put the cloak on here, guys, make sure it covers all of us. If Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own -"

"What are you doing?" a voice from the other corner of the room asked. Neville came up towards us, quivering with fear, and holding Trevor in his hands.

"Nothing, Neville, nothing," Harry replied, thrusting the cloak behind his back.

"You're going out again, aren't you?" Neville asked.

"No, no, of course not, Neville," Hermione said, trying to convince him of that fact. And failing. "Why don't you go to bed Neville?"

Harry glanced towards the clock by the portrait hole, I rolled my eyes.

"You can't go out," Neville told them, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble!"

"You don't understand, Neville, this is important."

"So much for 'we're not going out'," I muttered. Apparently, that wasn't the best of times for my sense of humour. Hermione glared at me, and when she gets angry...

"I won't let you do it," Neville said, standing his ground. "I'll – I'll fight you."

"_Neville_," Ron yelled. "Get away from the portrait hole and don't be an idiot -"

"Don't call him an idiot!" I said, indignant, at the same time Neville made the same argument for himself.

"I don't think you should be breaking any more rules," Neville continued. "And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"

"Yes, but not to _us_," Ron sighed. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing." Ron advanced a step towards him, and Trevor leaped out of the boy's hands and hopped off into a corner somewhere. Neville didn't seem to mind right at the moment.

"Go on then, try and hit me!" Neville challenged, raising his fists. "I'm ready."

Ron pulled his hand back to slap Neville across the cheek. Expecting something like this, I held his arm back while Harry impored that Hermione do something.

"Neville, I'm really, really sorry about this," Hermione said, while Ron struggled against me. "_Petrificus Totalus_!"

Neville's fists dropped, his arms clasping against his sides. His legs sprang together, and he lost his balance, crashing to the floor. That must have hurt.

"What have you done to him?" Harry asked, horrified.

"It's the full body-bind," she said, sounding as though she hated herself for it. "Oh Neville, I really am sorry about this."

"We had to Neville, no time to explain," Harry said, getting the invisibility cloak out and getting it ready.

"You'll understand later, Neville," Ron said, though he didn't sound very sure of this. He hopped under the cloak with the other two.

"Are you coming, Sally?" Hermione's disembodied voice asked.

"Yeah," I said, looking apologetically at Neville. "Sorry, Nev."

* * *

I love the way the castle looks at night. I mean, of course, it's extremely creepy, especially when you're not using a lantern, but it's got a certain sense of adventure about it – you know when the daring hero creeps through the -

Getting off track again, sorry. Almost a year away from home has made me spacey. Yes, the creepy castle. In our current situation, everything made us think of the fact that we were in trouble. Shadows cast by statues that had been there for a thousand years reminded us of Filch, stray winds coming in through the windows sounded like ghosts come to tell us off. Seeing Mrs Norris started off our journey through the castle. Peeves finished it off, more or less. He was loosening the carpet, in the expectation that when people got up and started walking around the next morning, they would trip, fall on their faces, and Peeves could laugh.

"Who's there?" he asked as we approached him cautiously, his head snapping up and turning to face us. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"

"Ghost," I whispered to Harry as Peeves rose higher into the air.

"Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."

"Ghost!" I whispered urgently to Harry.

Something clicked, evidently, because Harry suddenly said in a low, hoarse voice, "Peeves." It was unnecessarily long and drawn out. "The Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."

That sounded absolutely nothing like the Bloody Baron. Apparently Peeves didn't care, because he dropped out of the air like a hammer and caught himself just in time so that he didn't hit the floor.

"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr Baron, sir," Peeves said, sounding more like he was sucking up than he was sorry. "My mistake, my mistake – I didn't see you... Of course I didn't, you're invisible! Forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."

"I have business here, Peeves," Harry croaked. "Stay away from this place tonight."

"I will, sir, I most certainly will! Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."

With that, Peeves floated away, leaving the staircase clear for us to continue onwards.

"That was bloody brilliant, Harry," Ron whispered as we walked. "Good idea, Sally."

When we got there, our stomachs all did identical flip things – the door to the corridor was already open. "There you are," Harry said, defeated. "Snape's already got past Fluffy."

I rolled my eyes, as Harry turned around to face the three of us. "If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he said. "You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."

"Oh yeah, give it here," I said, though the other's failed to see the sarcasm. As he handed the cloak over, I hit him over the back of the head.

"Don't be stupid," Ron said.

"We're coming," Hermione added.

Harry, rubbing his head, pushed the door open to growls of protest from Fluffy. Hermione was already looking around the room.

"What's that at it's feet?" she asked almost straightaway.

"Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."

Who in their right mind would own a harp?

"It must wake up the moment you stop playing. Well, here goes..." Harry took Hagrid's flute out of his pocket and blew a note. When I say blew a note, I mean he attempted to blow a note and make a sound at the same time. I hope my face when I screwed it up wasn't too noticeable.

"Here," I said, taking it. "I play the flute."

This wasn't technically true – my cousin played it, and I knew a few notes, but I assumed it would be better than Harry's attempt. Indeed, from the very first note, Fluffy dropped off to sleep without even a protest. But with a very loud 'thump!' on the floor, which I was sure would echo around the school.

"Keep playing," Ron told me as he and Harry lifted up the trapdoor. Ron cringed slightly as he was hit by Fluffy's breath, accompanied by his normally neat-ish hair being blown back with slobber in it. Gross. "Want to go first, Hermione?" Ron asked.

Ever chivalrous, that one.

"No, I don't!" she protested.

"All right," Ron smiled through gritted teeth.

"What can you see?" Hermione asked him, keeping her distance.

"Nothing – just black – there's no way of climbing down. We'll just have to drop."

"I'll go first," Harry said.

"You want to go first? You sure mate? I don't know how deep this thing goes."

"Yeah, I'll go," he said. "Don't follow until I say so. If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"

The two of them nodded.

Harry sat on the edge of the trapdoor and then pushed himself off the edge. He screamed as he went down, as I was thinking to myself that I should have already sent an owl to Dumbledore. Oh well, I'm sure he'll figure it out.

"IT'S OK!" I heard Harry call up from the bottom of the pit. It sounded like a long way down. "It's a soft landing! You can jump!"

Ron nodded slightly to us, then jumped into the hole in the floor. Hermione winced as he did, but went to the edge of the door as soon as she heard that he was OK. I started walking towards the door as well, and reached it just as soon as Hermione jumped down.

Wondering just how awkward this was going to be, I tried to position myself in a way that I could keep playing the flute and yet push myself off at the same time.

The flute dropped.

Fluffy woke up.

Scared for my life, I pushed off from the ledge and watched my life flash before my eyes as I fell. After what felt like an eternity, I landed with a flop onto the plant beneath.

* * *

_**Woaahhhh, this is my longest chapter yet!**_

_**I was going to put the rest of the Trapdoor chapter in here, but I think 3000 words is a big enough treat for you guys, especially as it's a thousand words more than my previous chapter! **_

_**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and this chapter was so fun to write. I actually had to write most of it twice. Long story, but basically, my laptop died, so all the fanfics that were on there that I hadn't uploaded yet are lost (unless we can salvage the stuff on the harddrive). **_

_**Anyway, comments, criticism (the constructive kind) and just thoughts are very much appreciated, which you can all give me via the review button.**_

_**Love gabiellexx  
**_


	13. After the Fall

"Ow," I complained. Although the plant was soft, falling from that height made it hurt. I opened my eyes, which I must have closed somewhere on the way down to stop myself from feeling sick, and looked around.

"We must be miles under the school," Hermione said, as I noticed she was also looking around.

I remembered what the plant was, and quickly started making my way toward the outer wall, just as Hermione started to do the same thing, as Harry and Ron started struggling against the Devil's Snare.

"Stop struggling!" I shouted at them, receiving a glare from Ron in reply.

"What is this stuff?" Harry shouted.

"Devil's Snare!" Hermione answered. "Don't you remember studying it in Herbology?"

"Hermione, I don't really care right now," Ron said. "I just want to get out of it."

"Alright, I'm trying to remember how to kill it."

"Hurry up," Harry gasped. "It's getting a bit hard to breathe."

"Okay… What did Professor Sprout say, again? Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare… Gosh, I can't remember!"

"It likes the dark and the damp!" I called out from the other side.

"Light a fire!" Harry choked.

"Of course!" Hermione said. "But… there's no wood."

"THERE'S NO WOOD!" Ron asked incredulously. "HAVE YOU GONE MAD? ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"

"Oh, right!" Hermione said, pulling her wand out. She muttered the incantation for the bluebell flames. I could see it pulling itself away from Harry and Ron as it screamed in pain.

"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Sally," Harry said to me.

"Yeah," Ron said, and then added in a highly sarcastic manner. "And lucky Hermione doesn't lose her head in a crisis. 'There's no wood!'. Honestly."

She blushed a little bit, but nobody noticed. "This way," Harry said, pointing down the one and only stone passageway.

It smelled bad down here. Like wet mould or something. The walls were covered in an algae like substance, and I couldn't help but think that we must be somewhere under the lake.

"Can you hear something?" Ron asked. Listening carefully, there was a soft fluttering sound, accompanied by an even softer tinkling sound.

"Do you think it's a ghost?" Harry asked.

"No," I said. "Sounds more like wings to me."

"Look, there's light. Something's moving!" Hermione said, rushing forward ever so slightly.

The rest of us followed, emerging finally in a grand chamber, lit by giant orbs of light. And it glittered.

Ron looked up at the bird-keys. "Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?"

"Probably," Harry shrugged. "They don't seem very vicious, but maybe if they all swooped down at once… Nothing else for it. I'll run."

"Harry –" Hermione started.

"He'll be fine," I interrupted her as he closed his eyes and sprinted across the room. He looked around slightly in surprise when he reached the other side untouched. Then, he reached his hand out and pulled on the door.

"You didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?" I asked him as the three of us followed. "And Alohamora won't work either, just before you try."

Hermione looked at me sceptically before pulling her wand out and trying the charm.

"Now what?" Ron asked as Hermione glared at me.

"The birds," Hermione said. "... They can't just be here for decoration."

Harry looked up at them, realisation dawning on his face. "They're not birds!" he exclaimed. "They're keys. Winged keys! So that must mean…"

"Broomsticks," I grinned, picking one up. "There's only three." I assumed that Ron and Harry would be absolutely itching to fly, so I turned to Hermione. "Do you want to go up?"

She looked nervously at the other two, and then nodded. "Yeah, I'll do it."

"Okay," Ron said, examining the keyhole on the door. "We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one. It'll probably be silver, like the handle."

"And don't forget that somebody's already been through here," I added. "So the right key might have rustled wings or something. Maybe crumpled."

Ron nodded, then mounted his broom along with Harry and Hermione. The three of them kicked off, and started darting in between the keys. I could see Harry looking the hardest, and I mentally cursed under my breath. Even I know that you're not going to find something if you're looking that hard.

"There it is!" I called. "The biggest one! It's silver! Bright blue wings – the left wing is all crumpled!"

Harry and Ron looked down to see where I was pointing, and Ron took off straight away, almost crashing into the ceiling in his haste to get to it.

"We've got to close in on it," Harry yelled out. "Ron, come at it from above. Hermione, stay underneath it and stop it from going down. I'll try and catch it. Okay! GO!"

Ron plummeted downward on his broom at the same moment Hermione went flying upwards. They barley missed each other as they crossed paths, the key dodging both of them. Harry sped after it. Eventually, it sped into the wall, probably trying to trick Harry into crashing into it, but he was too quick. He extended his arm and after a sickening crunch, pulled it away, the big key struggling in his hand.

The three of them landed on the ground and Harry rushed over to join me at the door. I rested my hand on the handle, and Harry jammed the key into the lock, turned it, and then let the key back into the air. I opened the door and we walked into the next room.

It was pitch black. I honestly couldn't see a thing. And then Ron took one step forward, and flames burst out of the torch brackets, flooding the room with light. I could see Ron grin in anticipation and admiration. In front of us was a giant chessboard, and chess was Ron's forte.

"Now what do we do?" Harry asked.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Ron asked, pointing to the door on the other side. "We've got to play our way across the room."

"How?" Hermione asked.

Ron thought for a moment and then nodded. "I think we're going to have to be chessmen."

Without waiting for an answer, he moved forward and reached out his arm, gently touching the King-side knight. Immediately, it sprang to life, looked around for whoever had disturbed it. The stone horse pawed at the ground, and the knight looked down.

"Do we – er – do we have to join you to get across?" he asked.

The knight nodded, a soft scraping sound with each nod.

Ron turned to the three of us. "Okay, we'll need to think about this. I'm thinking that we're going to have to take the place of three black pieces. "Neither of you are that good at chess, no offence."

"None taken," I replied.

"Just tell us what to do," Harry added, agreeing.

"Okay. Harry, you take the place of the Queen-side Bishop. Hermione, take the place of the Castle next to him."

They both nodded.

"I'll be King-side knight," he said, nodding to the knight he had spoken to, and then turning to me.

"What about Sally?" Hermione asked.

He pondered for a while. "Well, I really only want to take out one of each of the important pieces. Usually you lose at least one of them."

"What if I go King?" I asked him. "Our aim is to win the game, and the point of the King is to stay out of check so he can't be defeated."

"That's a good idea," Ron said. "King it is."

As though the pieces had been listening to our exchange, the four nominated pieces rose and walked off the chessboard. Apprehensively, the four of us took our places.

"What happens now?" Hermione asked, gulping.

"White always plays first in chess," Ron answered, nodding towards one of the white pawns that had just moved forward.

For almost half an hour, Ron commanded the black pieces around the chessboard. I have to admit, he's probably one of the best chess players I've ever seen.

The chess pieces showed no mercy, savagely attacking each other and dragging them away from gameplay.

Finally, Ron looked from Harry, to Hermione, to me, and then to the white queen. "We're nearly there," he muttered under his breath. "Let me think…"

The queen turned to him, and it was as though she was staring at him. She knew what was coming, and so did he.

"Yes," Ron said, more to himself than to us. "It's the only way."

Now he addressed Harry.

"I've got to be taken."

"NO!" came the immediate shout from the other two.

"That's chess," snapped Ro. "You've got to make some sacrifices. I don't want either of you to argue. I take one step forward, and she'll take me. That leaves Harry free to checkmate the king."

"But-"

"Do you wanna stop Snape or not?" Ron asked.

"Ron –" Hermione started.

"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"

That was a change from earlier tonight. Wasn't he on my side, agreeing that Dumbledore wasn't a fool and whoever was going down the trapdoor wouldn't be able to get it as easily as they thought? Maybe he was bluffing. Saying what Harry needed to hear to stop him being so stubborn.

"Ready?" Ron asked. "Here I go –"

He paled, gulped, and shook his head. "Don't hang around once you've won," he added, stepping forward.

The white queen was quick. She extended her stone arm and swung it, hitting Ron on the side of the head. He crumpled to the floor, and Hermione screamed, starting to move forward."

"Hermione, stay where you are!" I shouted as the queen dragged Ron off to one side. "The game's still going. Harry?"

Harry was pale and shaking, but he nodded, and moved diagonally three spaces to the left. "Checkmate," he choked out.

The white king bowed his head and took off his crown, letting it fall at Harry's feet. The rest of the chess pieces parted to form a clear path to the next door.

They hesitated.

"He'll be fine," I said, putting a hand on each of their shoulders and coaxing them forward into the next passageway. As we passed the last row of white pieces, they moved back to their original positions, forming another barrier back.

"What do you think is next?" Harry asked us, trying to take his mind off of what had happened to Ron.

"I reckon we've had Sprout's, Flitwick's and McGonagall's," Hermione said, ticking them off on her fingers. "Devil's Snare, charmed keys, giant chess pieces… That leaves Quirrell's and Snape's," she grimaced.

"Please, knowing Quirrell, his isn't going to be anything much," I said, as we reached the next door. "Ready?" I asked them.

"Go on," Hermione said.

Harry pushed the door open and as we took the first few steps in, the stench was unbearable. Covering our noses with our clothes, we looked down before us. A massive troll, even bigger than the one we fought at Hallowe'en, was out cold, lying on the floor beside us.

"Let's get out of here, quick," I suggested, and we hurried for the next door.

"Glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry said as we let our jumpers fall and breathed in the better air gladly. We looked around, taking in what was in this room.

"Snape's," Harry said, his eyes wondering over the table. Seven variously shaped bottles were lined up on a table, a scroll placed in front of them.

I moved forward first, and the other two followed. As soon as they were away form the door, a purple fire sprang up from the floor. Just over a second later, black flames burst out in front of the next doorway. Shrugging at each other, we started our way towards the table.

Hermione grabbed the scroll and unfolded it, Harry and I standing on either side to read it as well. We read it out loud at the same time.

"_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_ Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_ One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_ Another will transport the drinker back instead._

_ Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_ Three of us are killers waiting hidden in a line._

_ Choose unless you wish to stay here forevermore,_

_ To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_ First, however slyly the poison tries to hide,_

_ You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_ Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_ But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;_

_ Third, as you clearly see, all are different size,_

_ Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_ Fourth, the second left and second on the right_

_ Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."_

I smiled a little. I'd tried this puzzle a hundred times, drawing bottles on little pieces of paper. It had never worked though; I had never known how big the bottles were.

Hermione was grinning too, and Harry was looking between the two of us, utterly confused.

"Brilliant!" Hermione beamed. "This isn't magic at all – it's a logic puzzle! A lot of great wizards haven't got an ounce of logic. They'd be stuck in here forever!"

"Won't we be as well?" Harry asked.

"Don't be ridiculous," I said to him. "Everything we need to know is on this piece of paper."

"Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple," Hermione finished.

"But how do we know which ones to drink?"

"Give us a minute or two," I said to him, reading the paper over again with Hermione. Quietly, we discussed which bottle would be which, and when we finally agreed, we beckoned Harry back.

"Okay," Hermione said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire, towards the Stone."

Harry looked at the smallest bottle, sizing it up.

"There's only one mouthful in there," Harry said. "Barely. Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"

Hermione pointed to the bottle at the right end of the line, a small, rounded one. But big enough to have two mouthfuls in it.

"Okay, you two share that," Harry said. "No, listen to me. Get back and get Ron. Grab the broomsticks from the key room, they should get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy. Then go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore. We need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm really no match for him."

"Whoever's in there could probably squash you like a bug, Harry," I said to him. "Are you sure you don't want one of us in there as well?"

"I'm sure," he said.

"But Harry," Hermione piped up. "What if You-Know-Who's with him?"

Harry shook his head. "I was lucky once, wasn't I?" he answered, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again."

"That attitude is going to get you killed one day," I said to him. "If you're absolutely sure…"

"I am."

Hermione sniffed, and then ran forward and almost crushed him in a hug.

"Harry! You're a great wizard."

"I'm not as good as you," Harry replied, embarrassed, as she pulled away.

"Me?" she laughed. "Books and cleverness? There are more important things, Harry. Like, friendship, and bravery. Be careful, Harry."

"I will," he said. I had a feeling he would adopt a blatant disregard for what she'd just said, but I didn't mention anything. "You two drink first. You're absolutely sure, aren't you?"

"Positive," we both chimed. Hermione picked up the bottle first, took one mouthful, and handed the rest to me.

"It's not poison?" he asked us as I grimaced.

"No," Hermione answered. "But it's icy."

"You'd better go before it wears off," he said.

"Good luck, Harry," I said.

"GO!"

Hermione nodded at me, and together, we walked through the purple flames, back towards the troll. She looked back at the door.

"He's on his own now, Hermione," I said. "We can't do anything."

We hurried through this room, not knowing how long it would be until the troll woke up, and back into the room with the chessboard. We skirted around the pieces to find Ron, still unconscious on the side of the board.

"We can't go back with him like this," Hermione said to me. "What are we going to do?"

"Got any ice?" I asked her.

"No," she said.

"Alright. I've been reading up on a couple of useful spells," I lied. "Anyway, there was one to revive an unconscious person, but I think it might be a fourth-year spell. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it."

"Just give it a try," Hermione said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"You honestly don't want to know," I told her, pulling my wand out of my pocket. "_Enervate_," I muttered, pointing it at Ron. Slowly but surely, he opened his eyes and looked around.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Why does my head hurt?"

"No time for that now," I said. "Can you walk?"

Hermione and I pulled him to his feet, and with a little bit of assistance, he managed to make his way back to the key room.

"I don't think you'll be able to fly your own broom," I said to him. "I mean, you can barely walk!"

"What do you suggest, then?" Hermione asked.

"He hops on the back of one of ours," I replied.

The two of us mounted our brooms, and Ron hopped on to the back of mine. I guess it was because I was closest, and he could barely walk.

"Ready?" I asked them. "Hold on tight," I added to Ron as I kicked off. We flew up past the Devil's Snare and soared over Fluffy's head, Ron groaning the entire way due to his headache. We dismounted just outside the corridor, and hurried to get up to the owlery.

"Sally!" I heard somebody call. Turning around, I saw Professor Dumbledore hurrying up to the door we'd just exited.

"Professor," I said, running back down.

"Where's –?"

"The final room. He's not going to last much longer, Professor."

Dumbledore looked at the three of us. "Get Mr Weasley up to the hospital wing. Tell Madam Pomfrey that I'll be returning soon with another student. Don't leave until I arrive."

"Yes, Professor," I nodded, and he headed through to the trapdoor.

* * *

**Again, dear readers, I'm not so reliable with the updates... It takes a lot of effort to figure out what Sally's going to meddle with in the books, and I actually have to have the book out in front of me while I'm writing so I don't miss anything.  
**

Anyway, this should be the second last chapter of the _Philosopher's Stone_ installment. And yes, before you ask, I'm definitely going to go on and do CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP AND DH. So there will be a whole set. Obviously they're going to differ a lot more from the books as the years go on. I can't have Sally sticking with them forever. She's got to live her own life!

So, to avoid icky author's notes in the last chapter, because I really hate when people do that, I'd just like to say my thankyous now. This has been one of my favourite stories to write, out of all the fandoms that I've written for. I've enjoyed writing Sally, and I've enjoyed throwing a new character into the works. Thank you to everyone that has not only supported this story from the beginning, but also to those who have found it along the way and stuck with it. And to those who have reviewed to let me know how you feel, or even added it to their favourites. It means so much to me that you like the story, and I hope you'll read the next one. This is the one story that I've always planned to see through until the end. I've never said to myself 'Yeah, I don't think I'll continue that one.' Even though it might feel like I've been ignoring it, I've just been waiting for inspiration to strike, and time to come along. I don't get too much of that nowadays.

I really hope everybody has enjoyed the story. I did have a lot of fun writing it. Keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter!

- lightingpaperlanterns (formerly gabiellexx)


	14. Imagination

Ron was released from the hospital wing later that morning, Madam Pomfrey having cured his concussion and deeming him fit to go. Ron and Hermione stayed in the hospital wing, though, beside Harry's bed, waiting for him to wake up. I, on the other hand, headed to Professor Dumbledore's office.

"What can I do for you, Miss Potter?" he asked as I entered.

"Professor, I'd just like to thank you," I said. "Being at Hogwarts has been amazing, and I don't even know who to thank for bringing me here. And even though it's been a bit confusing, I've loved every minute of it. So, I guess I'm thanking you for not kicking me out, or something."

He chuckled to himself. "That's quite alright, Miss Potter. Having you as a student has been a pleasure."

"Look, I know you're planning on giving us all some house points at the end of year feast," I said to him. "But I'd just like to ask that you don't give any to me. I don't deserve them, and what's more, it'd just throw things out, and that doesn't seem right."

"If that is your wish, Sally. Was there anything else?"

"Yes," I said. "Do you know anything about my family?"

Dumbledore sighed. "When were you born?"

"1992," I said. "Hallowe'en."

"You haven't even been born yet, Sally," he said. "I can't know anything for sure."

"Of course," I said, nodding my head. "Thank you anyway."

"Go and enjoy the sunshine, Miss Potter," he said. "You deserve it."

I smiled and left the headmaster's office, heading to Gryffindor tower first of all. I needed to have a shower and get out of these mucky clothes. And I needed to grab something to read while I sat by myself out in the grounds.

That plan didn't work out too well. As soon as I entered the common room, people approached me from all sides, shouting questions about what had happened the night before, where Harry, Ron and Hermione were. I reached the dormitory five minutes later, a much longer trip than I was anticipating, where I was greeted by Lavender and Parvati sitting on the latter's bed, probably gossiping or something. As soon as they saw me, they turned their heads and smiled, and I knew it couldn't be good.

"Sally!" Lavender grinned. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Really?" I asked her. "Thanks."

"Yeah, of course," Parvati smiled. "Hey, so we were just wondering… what exactly happened last night?"

I turned around to my bed, and as I did I noticed Eloise Migeon sitting on her own bed, her head in her book, but I could see she was just as interested as the other two in what I had to say.

"I'm not really in the mood to talk about it right now," I said to them. "I'm actually a bit tired, considering I haven't slept properly in about a week, or at all in the past thirty hours."

"Oh come on, you can't even tell us anything?"

"Yeah, actually, I can," I said, determined to get them off my back. "I can tell you a lot of things about what happened last night. But I'm not going to. Why? Well, because I don't particularly feel like talking about it, which I've already told you. Because I wasn't the main player in what happened. I did absolutely nothing to help contribute to the outcome of last night except tell Professor Dumbledore what was going on. I will tell you this though: what happened last night is absolutely none of your business, and I would appreciate it if you don't ask me what happened again."

The two girls looked at each other before shuffling back onto Parvati's bed and gossiping again. I shot a glare at Eloise, who hurriedly returned to reading her book. Deciding to skip on the shower, just for now, I grabbed a change of clothes so I didn't have the slime from the Devil's Snare and the stench of the troll on me and headed into the bathroom.

I brushed my hair quickly and threw it up into a ponytail before I went back to the dormitory, got a book to read, and headed down back through the common room and out onto the Castle grounds.

"Sally!" a great booming voice called out to me as I took my spot under a tree. I turned around to see Hagrid approaching. "Sally, what's happenin'?"

I didn't have it in me to give Hagrid the same treatment as Lavender and Parvati. So I went back to Hagrid's cabin with him and explained what was going on.

"Harry went after the stone," I said. "We went with him, but only until Snape's puzzle. Harry went on without us after that, and we went back through the maze and up to the hospital wing."

"I shouldn'ta said anythin'," Hagrid moaned, putting his face into his hands.

"Don't blame yourself, Hagrid. Honestly, it's not your fault. He would have found out anyway, and we'd still be in this situation eventually. Come on… How about some tea?"

Hagrid nodded and then snorted into a giant handkerchief that I'm sure at one point must have been a bedsheet. As he sobbed to himself at the table, I levitated the giant kettle and set it to boil. I grabbed two mugs – one Hagrid sized and one relatively normal sized – and rinsed them out, trying to keep myself busy.

As I set Hagrid's tea down in front of him, he looked down at me, still towering over me as he sat and I stood.

"Is he okay?"

"Who? Harry?"

"Yeah," Hagrid sniffed.

"… He'll be fine. He's still out cold at the moment, might be a few days until he wakes up, but he'll be fine."

"Tha's good… Well, not _good_, but…"

"I know," I said. "Look, I'd better go… I'll see you later Hagrid. And don't beat yourself up about what happened. It's honestly not your fault."

He tried to smile, but just ended up blowing his nose in his hanky and crying all over again, so I just left. And just as I sat down by my favourite tree again, I was interrupted. Again.

"Potter," he said, sitting down next to me.

"Fabulous seeing you here, Draco," I sighed. "Are you here to continue our conversation from yesterday or are you going to badger me about what happened last night like just about every other person in this place?"

He frowned slightly. "Sally, I don't know what happened last night, okay? To be honest, I don't really care. I just came here to say that I'm glad you're okay."

I glanced at him oddly. "Well, thank you, I guess," I said. "And I stayed out of immediate danger last night, don't worry."

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" he asked.

"Maybe," I said. "Maybe not."

He just nodded and stayed sitting down next to me.

"Harry went after the Philosopher's Stone," I told him. I knew I'd end up regretting this, but Ron and Hermione weren't going to talk, Dumbledore wasn't going to talk, Hagrid definitely wasn't going to talk, and it had to get around the school somehow before Harry woke up. This had to be the best way for it to happen, right?

"The what?"

"What is it with you wizarding families and never hearing of the Philospher's Stone?" I asked him. "Even the muggle world has heard of that. It's a legendary stone that can turn any metal into pure gold, and it produces the elixir of life, which stops you from dying. People have been trying to get their hands on it for years, but somebody went after it last night. It was hidden at Hogwarts.

"Anyway, the four of us, because we're not stupid enough to let Harry go alone, went to the forbidden corridor. There's a trapdoor down there, and we went through that, and we managed to make it through all the teacher's obstacles. Harry went into the final chamber without us. We needed to get Dumbledore and take Ron up to the hospital wing. He was knocked out along the way."

"How?"

"Something hit him in the side of the head. But that's not terribly important right now. He's fine. Like I said, Harry went into the final chamber… Professor Quirrell was already in there, and he was trying to get the Stone. But Dumbledore's a genius, he wouldn't let anybody undeserving get the Stone, so Quirrell was struggling, and then Harry came and Harry got it… and what's left of Lord Voldemort was attached to the back of Quirrell's head. I'm not entirely sure what happened then, but now Quirrell's dead and Harry's in the hospital wing."

"I'm guessing he won't be okay for the Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor game tomorrow?"

"I completely forgot about that," I said to myself. "I guess he wil."

He grinned.

"So what if you guys win the cup?" I asked him, rolling my eyes. "It's not like you were playing."

"I'm sorry," he laughed. "Shouldn't you be up at the hospital wing, making sure your cousin is alright?"

"He'll be fine, I have complete faith in him."

* * *

"Are your parents here, Sally?" Mrs Weasley asked me brightly as the four of us approached the large family waiting on the platform. How did she know who I was?

"No, they're not," I smiled a little to myself.

"Do you have a way to get home?" she asked me.

"Yeah, I'm catching another train," I lied easily. "Don't wait for me," I interrupted as she opened her mouth to say something more. "Honestly, I'll be fine."

"If you're sure..." she said.

"… a lot of fun with Dudley this Summer," I heard Harry say.

That was it. The end of the first book. What happened now?

"See you later, Sally," Ron said, as he waved goodbye.

"Seeya, Ron!" I called back, grinning broadly. "Bye Hermione."

"Goodbye, Sally. See you in Autumn?"

"Autumn," I smiled.

"Bye Sally," Harry said to me. "I guess I'll see you next year too, then?"

"Wouldn't dream of missing it," I said to him.

As the three of my friends went their separate ways, I closed my eyes.

"Sally," a distant voice called out.

I looked around for the person calling my name.

"Sally, please look at me."

I opened my eyes and realised with a jolt that I was back in my armchair, the book still open to the right page in my hands. My mum was right in front of me, trying to read my emotions.

"Mum!" I smiled, and threw my arms around her. I'd missed her so much, and I wasn't even sure if it was real. It felt real.

"I'm sorry, honey," she said. "After all the work you put into this party, and he wasn't able to make it… is there anything you want? Ice cream?"

I smiled up at her. "Ice cream sounds great!" I said.

When she disappeared into the kitchen to get the ice cream, I looked around. Everything was exactly how it had been when I'd been magically transported to Hogwarts. There wasn't a streamer out of place.

I finally decided that I must have imagined the whole thing.


End file.
